The Vulmen
by Horsefly20
Summary: A Vulman lawyer accepts a diplomatic position. Rather than serving as a consultant, he finds himself becoming an ambassador to the Imperial Guard. When Captain Archer and his crew receive a mysterious distress call, they are forced to investigate an undocumented colony. The crew uncovers one of the most well kept secrets of all time: a 240 year old interracial Vulcan Human race.
1. Prologue: The Vulmen

**The Vulmen**

Season 5: Episode 1: Part 1: Satana

Prologue

Their ancestors had been brought to this foreign world in chains ... and their Carpathian masters had treated them like vermin ...

In the Terran year 1913, an estimated kidnapping ninety thousand Earthlings had occurred. An isolated mining community, located in the rural outskirts of California, had disappeared. Nearly 242 years later, the disappearance of such a huge settlement was still one the biggest Terran mysteries of all time. Unfortunately, many regarded the vanishment of the ancient mining colony which had been nothing more than an old wives tale. The lack of technology and communication during this period in North America had unfortunately made such an odd revelation hard to come to light. Very few people could speak of such an event. Those who had managed to escape were deemed insane by their human brethren. A community of humans had literally gone missing under Earth's nose.

A group of rouge Carpathians had been banished from their lavish home world. The Carpathians were an intellectually superior hominid race that possessed highly advanced technology. They had managed to isolate a highly concealed world in the Archaic system. The world was selected for its vast resources and protection by the surrounding asteroid belt. While the movement within the belt was highly unpredictable, with constant monitoring it was later discovered to be an immense economic advantage.

The Carpathians had needed slaves to perform intense physical labor. Human could only endore so much. Several additional species were taken into consideration to supplement their work. The Carpathians decided to utilize a second species to increase production: the Vulcan species. This race possessed immense physical strength and diligence. The Carpathians had easily been able to remove thirty thousand Vulcan men. When Vulcan was in the midst in the civil war, the leader of the Carpathian bandits had revealed himself to the head council of the city of Ra'al. The Vulcan leaders had agreed too give him _Shi'Kara_ political prisoners. The people of Ra'al were in immense financial debt. Their leaders utilized this opportunity to remove tremondous costs on their war effort. To this day, the Vulcan people believed thirty thousand male soldiers, along with countless others, had been exterminated in the Ra'al death camps nearly 242 years ago.

Both Vulcans and Earthlings alike had been subjected to numerous atrocities. Both their species had been brought against their will to a mysterious world. Their Carpathian masters treated them like vermin. Each slave member transported in tight quarters like _Selhats._ When the Carpathians arrived on their new home world, they forced the Vulcans and the Humans to perform intense labor in the fields and mines. The captives had lost their basic rights. To add insult to injury, conflict later occurred between the two races. The Carpathians had had no prior knowledge of the Vulcan's _Pon Farr._ Since the Vulcans slaves were male, the nonexistance of Vulcan females caused extreme ramifications. A _"Gender Cleansing"_ occurred among the races. Vulcan males sought to annihilate Terran males out fear of death. There were only enough Terran females of mature age to satisfy one species.

The Carpathians had refused to intervene when the haunting matter came of light. The annihilation of the terran males initially caused some remorse among the Carpathians: mainly do to lack of production, not emotional empathy. A new revelation later occurred to the Carpathians:Vulcans and Humans had the ability to conceive naturally with the influence of _Pon Farr_. The _Pon Farr_ temporarily altered Vulcan neurochemistry and allowed for reproduction. Within the first year of residing on their new homeworld, the first hybrid child was born. Nearly half of the human race was gone within seven years.

The Carpathians found the mixed race offspring to be far more desirable to their full blood Human and Vulcans counterparts. Vulcans possessed higher intelligence quota and were also physically stronger. However, they were not particularly resilient when faced with extreme situations and were deemed highly stubborn. Humanity was a very creative species. While humans did not possesses the gifted memory their fellow Vulcans did, they were highly inventive and resilient to change. Humanity was far more progressive when it came to removing and solving cultural stigma. Vulcans were cold and reserved when it came to controversial matters that plagued their society. Humans were more progressive and thoughful when addressing problems.

After conception was deemed possible, the Carpathians enforced interracial breeding between the two groups. Breeding couples were selected based off physical characteristics, intelligence, and social status. In order to avoid the crude conditions of the mines or the agricultural unit, Terran women of reproductive age were given the alternate option to bear children. The Carpathians valued the spawn produced in these arranged unions. The more spawn produced by these women, the more slaves they would have in the future. Artificial insemination was commonly used as alternate when _Pon Farr_ was not avaluable. Rather than work in the hellish conditions, many Terran women would constantly requested impregnation after giving birth. Out of fear for the conditions of their wives and children, most Vulcan men would concede to meet their mates requests. In this era of _Neovulterra_ history, it was not uncommon for Terran women to have nearly a dozen children or possibly more.

The reign of the of the dreaded Carpathian lasted for nearly ninety years. Tragities had scared both races. One hundred twenty thousand Human and Vulcan slaves had been brought to _Neovulterra._ Forty-five thousand male Humans had been brutally murdered. The remaining remaining group, an estimated seventy-five thousand, had multiplied to five point two million _Vulmen_. During this time, the Carpathians had expanded their territory into the Archaic Mining Colonies. High value resources were found in these areas. The _Vulmen_ had began to assemble in secret. The Carpathian species now only made up a small minority of their society. Even though the Carpathians possessed far superior technology, the _Vulmen_ had strength in numbers. A ten year revolutionary war occurred on _Neovulterra._

The rebellion had originally started in the Archaic Mining Belt. A group of slaves declared themselves independent from their Carpathian owners. The _Vulmen_ had fought a gruesome war with aquired stolen technology. After much bloodshed on both sides, the Vulmen had managed to overtake the Archaic Asteroid System. This successful battle has sparked future rebellions on _Neovulterra._ Unfortunately for the _Vulmen_ , the war fought on _Neovulterra_ was far more challenging. The older generation, the Vulcans, were highly reluctant to engage in such a fight. They deemed their children to be highly impulsive and utterly foolish.

In the end, the war was not won through force. An ingenious _Vulman_ _with the_ name of Somar developed a destructive weapon with stollen Carpathian technology. Somar had managed to engineer an air born virus that instantly compromised the immune system of any Carparthian the disease came in contact with. The disease had no effect on the _Vulmen_ people. The surviving Carpathians chose to flee. Through the art of bioterrorism, the _Vulmen_ species had achieved their independence.

In the year 2003, the Vulmen claimed their independence from the Carpathians. While the _Vulmen_ people no longer lived under oppression from a foreign dictator, they were still haunted by poverty. _Neovulterra_ was in complete economic shambles. Literacy rates were low. Hunger was widespread and population growth was rampant. The next one hundred and twenty years were incredibly long. During this time a government was established, and sovereignty was exercised. A new division of labor was established among the _Vulmen_ people.

Over the course of the century, the _Vulmen_ began to experiment with the Carpathian technology left behind on their homeworld. Technological advancements were made in time. The _Vulmen_ also discovered how to utilize their position for financial benefit. The asteroids provided a sense of protection from foreign invaders. The asteroids also allowed for immense profit. Klingon traders could not navigate the asteroid belt for fear of collision and complete destruction. Traders could only pass through the Archaic asteroid belt at during certain times of the month. The Archaic belt needed to be constantly monitored. Through time and effort, the _Vulmen_ discovered how to properly maximize their location.

They had access to an abundant amount of resources. The _Vulmen's_ rich planet not only satisfied their needs, but also fullfilled every luxury they could desire. The upper class of _Vulmen_ became incredibly wealthy off trade. They charged an immense fortune for their resources. Inferior species, such as the Klingons, would give into the demands for their much needed products.

The Vulmen population had increased to 1.9 billion people by the year of 2,120. Education had became more widely available among the masses. For the first time in history, a unified public education system and basic medical care had been made available. The female fertility rate had had decreased from 12.5 to 7.3 children per woman. The infant mortality rate had substantially dropped. 95 percent of _Vulmen_ youth had received proper immunizations. More women were atttending university now than ever before. These were considered huge accomplishments for the _Vulmen_ people _._

In the year of 2,124, a mysterious shuttle pod had made an emergency crash landing on the homeworld on _Neovulterra._ Fifteen survivors were taken hostage. After careful evaluation, the _Vulmen_ had determined the survivors had came from the fatherland: Vulcan. A negative sterotype regarding the Vulcan had been adopted during the _Carpathian-Vulmen_ revolutionary war. The _Vulmen's_ elderly parents, the Vulcan, had been reluctant to engage in such a war. They claimed they had viewed too much bloodshed from the Ra'al- Shi'Kari dispute. The Vulcans had also continuously held their children back in medical exploration. The Vulcans had been reluctant to discuss contraversial,shameful matters such as _Pon Farr, Panar syndrome,_ and STD's. Being the product of two races complicated reproduction. A Vulcan male underwent _Pon Farr_ when he became an adult in both body and mind. However, due to conflicting Human heritage, Vulmen would often undergo _Pon Farr_ in the brink of adoescence. The only reason why the _Vulmen_ had been over to overcome such issues were due to their human mothers. Even though their mothers had died nearly a century prior, their presence still remained on _Neovulterra._ Their actions had influenced their children the most. When the first generation of Vulmen had been plagued with such matters, their mothers had promoted their research, and encouraged them to look past their fathers' disputed cultural norms.

The fifteen Vulcan prisoners were observed closely by the _Vulmen_ High Command. The Vulcan refused to believe the origin of the _Vulmen's_ heritage. For years, they were in full denial of the truth. In the end, the _Vulmen_ gave the Vulcan the option to reside in peace on their world or be exterminated. Four Vulcans choose to leave the capital city and start their life somewhere on _Neovulterra._ The other eleven Vulcans resided in the capital city. For nearly three months, everything was agreeable. Unfortunately, the _Vulmen_ later discovered some of the Vulcans had been secretly building a communication device to contact their homeworld. A trial had been held. Seven of the elevens Vulcan were found guilty and sentenced to death.

Prior to the Vulcans execution, an innocent Vulcan named Doctor Stollen had revealed one of the guilty captives was with child. The Vulcan physician begged the _Vulmen_ to spare the life of the guilty captive T'Ria. He claimed to his capitors she was pregnant with a very powerful man's child. The _Vulmen_ were not monsters and spared the life of T'Ria, and her child. However, the six other Vulcans were executed.

During this time, the infrastructure in the _Vulmen's_ chief cities had immensly improved. A new form of architecture had been introduced to _Neovulterran_ society. New discoveries occurred in the medical, technological, and education world.

In the year 2,132, the Carpathian- Vulmen World War occurred. The Carpathians attempted to restablish control over the Archaic System. The tragic intersellar war had resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of _Vulmen._ In the end, the _Vulmen_ had barely won by the skins of their teath. An eight year war of cat and mouse had resulted in one of the largest _Vulmen_ death tools of all time.

In the year 2,151, the twentieth _Vulmen_ Administrator was elected to power. Administrator Sopek had been groomed his whole life to be a politician. His foster father, Kumar, had been the sixteenth Vulmen Administrator. With the help of his sons, Sopek had run a successful campaign and been elected to the most prominent postion on _Neovulterra._ Sopek was a man of virtue. However, like all men of great power, he carried a dark secret. Sopek feared the day he would have to utilize his greatest weapon. This secret invoked great turmoil within him, for some people would kill for such information. Sopek would one day have to use his greatest advantage: _the Son of Vulcan._

 _..._

Administrator Sopek perched at the pinnacle of his chair while reviewing confidential military documents. An increased number of Andorian vessels had be located within the Archaic System of _Neovulterra_. Sopek suppressed the exasperation forming behind his carefully crafted control. After several minutes of pointless debate, he involuntarily released a quiet groan pertaining to the emotion of vexation.

His head pivoted towards his fellow ministers as the head of security ranted of current alien hazards. _" The Andorians have violated space zones for far to long!"_ Michel Menstral expressed with discontent to his superiors. The chief of security pressed further on his topic of debate: " _I recommend extreme repercussions to tame these vermin. We must avoid future space security issues."_ Hesitant murmurs rippled through the courtroom. A courageous Vulman spoke up: _" Exposure to potential threats is inevitable. Your talk of war is cheap, and frankly quite impulsive, Major Menstral. The time to make our people well known and assert our stance in the universe will come. However, with only a population slightly above 2.9 billion, we have long to wait. Any ramifications presented to punish the Andorians most be held within reason and approved by the council."_ Murmurs in agreement spread.

Menstral grimaced at the _beloved_ Somal. He suppressed his miffed emotions and responded with a smirk: _" Then perhaps you, ever wise son of Sopek, would like to offer a diplomatic solution to our overgrowing predicament._ Somal rose his head and made eye contact with his adversary. He would have offered a logical approach to address the contraversal matter had his fellow minister and chief aeronautical engineer, T'Min Vanderkoft, had not interrupted their quarrel. _" Vulmen Intelligence along with the Aeronautical Design Department has analyzed the recorded scans of the Andorian Vessels. There are no visible signs indicating these vessels are armed with high priority weapons of mass destruction."_

The Minister Samson Tomark then made an inquiry: " _If these vessels do not contain weapons of mass destruction, then what are their function?"_ T'Min pursed her lips and then responded to his question: _"We believe these vessels contain high value energy cargo. Our scans detected large quantities of petroleum, Trellium D, and sulfuric acid."_

Somal interjected into her analysis: _"The Andorians would appear to be mining the asteroids in our system and then shipping the materials back to their home world."_ He turned to his father: " _Administrator, in the chief interests of Neovulterra, I suggest we request a meeting with the Andorians to discuss territorial arrangements. Perhaps a compromise can be made that will benefit both parties without violating the interests of another."_

Minister Tomark proceeded to respond: " _Somal, while your multilateral views are ideal, I find them the be highly unrealistic. Our allies detected conflict between the Andorians and members of the fatherland on Weytahn. These Andorians have shown signs of being highly militant and an immense liability."_

Somal made a remark: _" While I hear your reasoning minister, may I point out the Klingons and our people have managed to maintain a successful alliance over the past 140 years. We have both benefitted substantially from trade, mutual shared intelligence, and territory assignments. I see no reason why we cannot hope to promote unity between our people and with the Andorians."_

Administrator Sopek arose from his seat. Everyone ceased to speak. The administrator rose his hand: _" I see no reason why not to approach these Andorians. We have reluctantly ceased to explore the Northwestern quadrant outside of the Asteroid belt for many years. We do not control the boundary outside the strip. If these Andorians have found an ample resource deposit in an unclaimed area, it would better to be aware of their findings. Perhaps we could participate in a joint investment project. We cannot afford to make enemies in this point of our society's development."_

Menstral interjected at his decision: _"Are you suggesting we submit to these vermin and allow them to take over the Archaic Asteroid Strip piece by piece?"_ Administrator Sopek hissed at his response: _" I suggest you watch your tone with me Major or you will be out of a job."_ Menstral was stunned speechless.

Administrator Sopek turned to his fellow ministers. _" While the Andorian vessel's position is not ideal, we cannot prosecute based on colony position alone. As long as the Andorian vessel does not penetrate the Archaic Asteroid Belt, they are technically operating within Klingon territory."_

T'Min interrupted the Administrator: _" The Andorians he attempted to mitigate the outer boundaries of the asteroid belt. However, they have been unable to penetrate the belt and enter the inner region of the system."_ Samson Tomark contributed to the previous remark: _"They have violated the Archaic Asteroid Belt. This seems like enough proof for me."_

Somal glared at the man and responded: _" In all do respect minister, the Andorians are most likely unaware of our settlement in this area of space. We would do better to inform them of our presence, and negotiate terms of travel."_ Samson grimaced at him: _" And if the Andorians refuse to listen?"_ Administrator Sopek responded to the rude statement: _" Then previous discussed repercussions will have to be enforced."_

 _"_ _Which means?"_ Menstral gleamed arrogantly. _"War."_ Somal responded to his disrespectful inquiry. _"The potential situation is not particular hard into infer."_ Sopek glared at his son and then at Menstral. He turned to T'Min and stated: _" Which asteroid are these Andorians currently located on?"_ T'Min took a breath and exhaled reluctantly: _" They are located on Asteroid NX-156."_

The chief mining engineer of Neovulterra, Torik, raised his eyebrow in curiosity and then grimaced. _"Satana."_ He murmured in disgust. _" I beg your pardon,"_ Sopek inquired to the man. _" A hyperbole, Sir. My miners have often sought to compare the asteroid with the qualities of Hell. The asteroid comes frequently in contact with other asteroids and has a high comet impact rate. High quantities of acid are located below the surface. Deadly fumes are often released when drilling in underground caves. The asteroid is more a liability than a financial asset."_

Samson raised his eyebrows. _"If this 'Satana' as you put it is so much of a financial liability, what could the Andorians hope to gain from this colony?"_ Torik narrowed his eyes: _"My point exactly, Minister."_

Sopek turned to the council: _"We will conduct a diplomatic mission accompanied by military personnel. If the Andorian concede peacefully, we will discuss economic and territorial agreements. However, if any form of violence is directed toward the Vulmen people, we will be forced to drive them from the premises."_ He turned toward his son. _" I wish for you, Somal, to assist in directing this mission. If the Andorians consent, you will negotiate proper financial transactions and territorial agreements and between Neovulterra and Andoria."_ Somal's eyes widened at his father: _"Will we be allowed to utilize are most recent space transportation technology?"_ Sopek nodded his head. Somal gave a small excited smile to his father. Sopek addressed the council one final time: _" It is time to release our first warp nine vessel."_ T'Min wanted clearly to detest his decision. _" The ship has not completed the final trials. We cannot be sure if its aeronautical functions are 99.9 percent accurate."_ Sopek raised his hand: _" We have waited long enough. It is time."_

Sopek gave his son a small smile. However, Somal was not paying attention. He was staring out into the distance, simply gazing through the window at the sky.

It's been a long road

Gettin from there to here  
It's been a long time  
But my time is finally here

And I will see my dreams come alive at night  
I will touch the sky  
And they're not gonna hold me down no more  
No they're not gonna change my mind

(Chorus)  
'Cause I've got faith of the heart  
I'm going where my heart will take me  
I've got faith to believe  
I can do anything  
I've got strength of the soul  
No one's going to bend nor break me  
I can reach any star  
I've got faith  
I've got faith  
Faith of the heart

Star Date: X: Personal Log

 _"_ _This is Commander Somal's private personal log #863. The date is March 4_ _th_ _, 2155, and the construction of the Navis Sanctus has nearly been completed. Computer please halt this program."_

Somal paused his personal log. He reached for a pad and began to record a list of short-term necessities required for his up and coming voyage. He resumed his personal log.

" _I have recently been selected to serve on the first Vulmen Warp nine star ship. I will be providing legal advice. My chief decisions will be made in the interest of Neovulterra. I will mainly assist the crew with financial transactions, territorial agreements, and construct a contract for trade negations between Neovulterra and Andoria."_

Somal placed an order at online pharmacy. Against his better logic, he had emotionally manipulated his older sister T'Hana into prescribing him painkillers for his lower back. He had hurt himself years ago during a military training drill. She usually refused him. However, with the Andorian crisis on hand, his sister had reluctantly agreed to fulfill his requests.

 _"_ _I am not the most qualified official for this assignment. I hope my father has not made an impulsive decision. I suspect the only reason I was selected was due to my doctorate in law, expertise in econometrics, and possibly my fluent speaking skills in Klingon."_

Somal filled in his personal contact information. He would have to consult his sister Dr. T'Hana for advice. She would provide the recommended amount.

 _"_ _I can only hope these Andorians are willing hear reason. The result of this mission will impact the future of the Vulman Command in deep space. We have been waiting for this moment for a long time."_

Somal heard a loud knock at his door. He turned off his log and turned around: " _Please come in!"_ Somal was surprised to see his younger brother Somek. _" Greetings brother. I trust all is well?"_ Somek answered Somal's question with hidden delight in his voice: " _They have posted an official list. 177 of the 250 crewmen have been selected!"_ Somal's head shifted in interest: " _Really, is their anyone that we know of?"_ Somek nodded his head. " _T'Lin has been selected to be the Chief Engineer. "_ Somal lip creeped upward. T'Min would be proud of her daughter, however, she was currently aggravated with his father.

 _"_ _The infamous Michel Menstral has been selected to be the Chief of Security."_ This statement caused Somal to scowl. His previous experiences with Menstral had been not particularly agreeable. Somek frowned at his brother: " _Are you well, my brother?"_ Somal shook his head. _" I pity all whom are under his command."_ Somek stared blankly at him. _"Is he truly as bad as T'Hana claims?"_ Somal raised his eyebrow. _"She has spoken of him?"_ Somek shrugged: " _T'Hana has mention his arrogant demeanor, and … his unwanted advances."_ Somal's ears turned bright green and he lead in toward his brother. _"He has harassed her?"_ His voice was low and dark. _"No more than the other girls."_ Somal's grimaced face contracted further into a frown. _"We should tell father."_ Somal stated logically. Somek ruled his eyes. _"Why I agree his inappropriate behavior needs to be address, no physical or mental harm has come to anyone. Besides brother, we have no time to replace the security position if the flight of the Navis Sanctus is to leave on time."_

Somal reluctantly acknowledged his point of view. Somek pulled a box from the inside of his robe. _" I brought you this."_ Somal looked down at the item and then looked back up at his brother. _"This is for your long voyage, in case your back causes you pain."_ Somal responded: " _Somek, T'Hana has prescribed me painkillers."_ Somek fished a small bottle out of his pocket: _"Yes, she wanted me to give you those."_ Somal raised his eyebrows in shock and admiration: _"She must have been highly concerned for my state. I am surprised she was able to receive the prescription so quickly."_ Somek rolled his eyes: _"Your right Somal, she couldn't have received your medication so quickly. They are placebos."_

Somal opened his mouth to protest, however, Somek stopped him: " _Use these only if absolutely necessary, they are highly addictive, but efficient. Please follow my instructions in the container and take the amounts recommended. They are a requirement, not a courtesy."_ Somal attempted hide his mixed emotions and opened the box. " _These are powerful stimulants. May I ask how you acquired these?"_ Somek smirked: _"The Klingons paid for part of their trading fees in new medication and technology this month. They claim they acquired the drug from another trader traveling from the deltaic expanse. Dr. Orbeck has analyzed the composition of the medicine. He approved the transfer of the medication."_

Somal looked at the prescription reluctantly. He was often weary of any medicine the Klingons brought in. However, if Dr. Orbeck had validated the prescription, then there was no reason not to utilize it. Somal put the box on his desk. _"Thank you, brother."_ Somek bowed his head. _" I confess, I do not know if I was the best applicant to help orchestrate this mission."_ Somek looked up at him: _"Somal, if you are not, I don't know who is."_ Somal sighed to himself. Somek pressed on: _"The Navis Sanctus needs you as a commanding officer. This is a very prominent moment in Vulman history. If this mission goes well, we may be able to make our first interstellar mission out of this system since are great-great-great grandparents."_ Somek put his hand on his older brother's back: _"I know you will do well."_ They stood alone in the darkness.

…

The docking port was crammed with a multitude Vulmen. In attempt to reach the _Navis Sanctus_ _ **,**_ members of the discombobulated Vulmen High Command attempted to locate the nearest shuttle pod. Administrator Sopek, along with his three eldest children, attempted to mitigate the gross crowd. With the help of his security guards, he and his children managed to locate their reserved vessel. Administrator Sopek hissed when a man accidently pushed him: _"This is total madness. Who acts like this?"_ Somal spoke back as he stepped over a barrel: _"You did not have to come."_ The administrator smirked: _"And let you leave for 'Satana' without a proper ship inspection, I think not."_

T'Hana spoke up: _" Can someone please explain to Somek and me why our presence was necessary?"_ Somal was about to respond when a voice from the distance called his name: _" Somal! Somal!"_ He turned around in time to see his old university friend: Kuvak. _"My friend!"_ He said with a half-smile. He tried to move closer; however, the guard stopped him. Somal shook his head at the man. _" He is safe."_ Sopek spoke up: _"Forgive me for being rude, but I will have to interrupt this meeting, we need be at our required shuttle pod. There are too many security risks at the present moment."_

Somal nodded as another man rammed into his father's back. He hissed from the pain. Somal then looked at Kuvak and replied: _"Follow us."_ Two of the guards advanced further, scouting the perimeter for any signs of danger. They were led to a shuttle pod on the outer edge of the dock.

 _"_ _You first, administrator."_ The chief guard stated. _"Thank you, Tomek."_ The administrator replied to his guard. Somal, T'Hana, and Somek entered the small vessel. Kuvak attempted to follow, but was cut off by the guard. _"Only the administrator and immediate family."_ Somal stepped out of the shuttle pod. _"Tomek, he is clean. He is a member of the ship Navis Sanctus_. Tomek looked skeptical. He turned to Kuvak. _"Let me see your identification."_ He stated to the young man strictly. Kuvak pulled out his badge from under his nicely pressed shirt. _"Lieutenant Kuvak Armbruster at your service."_ Tomek took a moment to study the identification. _" You can pass."_ He said as he gave Kuvak back his badge.

The two young men climbed into the shuttle pod. Tomek followed and shut the door. Kuvak took a deep breath: _" That place was a mad house."_ Sopek smirked at him: _"I could not agree more."_ Somal spoke up: _"Father, this is Kuvak. He attended university with me. We had several mathematics classes, specifically statistics and probability, together."_ Sopek's eyes brightened at Kuvak. _"Did you study econometrics at the university as well?"_ Had security guards not been surrounding Kuvak, he would have been highly amused: _"No sir, I am a physicist. I double majored in mathematics and physics during my years at the university."_

Sopek nodded in comprehension, partly bored now: _"What branch do you specialize in?"_ Kuvak responded to his request: _" I am an experimental physicist. However, I studied medicine in graduate school. I work as a physician resident from eight to twelve and then participate in research at the university in the afternoon."_ Somal nodded to Kuvak: _"Will you be serving as a physician on the Navis Sanctus_ _ **?**_ " Kuvak shook his head: _"No, I am being sent by the Vulman High Command to conduct research on Satana … I mean NX-156."_

Somek turned to T'Hana. _"My sister is a physician as well. If you ever have an ache or pain, she would able to help you."_ He said almost too kindly to be true. T'Hana glared at him. She then turned to Kuvak, and for the first time truly examined him. He did not resemble the traditional Vulman. He possessed several recessive genes from _Mater Terra_. His straight silky hair, pointed ears, and slanted eyebrows were highly Vulman; however, his blond hair and blue eyes were clearly not. _" Will you be serving on the ship_?" T'Hana gave him a slight smile. _"No, my services are required elsewhere. However, I wish you and the crew a safe journey."_

Somek spoke with amusement in his voice: _" I must say Kuvak, I envy your position. You must feel honored to serve upon the Navis Sanctus_ _ **.**_ _"_ Sopek turned his head toward his son and then looked back at Kuvak: _"I wouldn't let my son flatter you, lieutenant Kuvak. He would appear to be looking for his next promotion."_ The corners of Kuvak's mouth rose.

…

The pilot spoke out loud from the front of the vessel. Tomek signaled the group to look out the window. T'Hana's and Somal's mouths both feel open in astonishment. The starship sat within the station. Somal had seen countless images; however, none of them did the scene true justice.

Somek stared at the vessel intensely. The ship was the most intimidating vessel he had ever seen. The aeronautical design had been devised from a fusion of Klingon, Vulcan, and Carpathian vessels. Somek turned to his siblings: _"T'Min must be very proud of her design. Her schematics were constructed of pure genius."_

 _"_ _We will be docking shortly, Administrator Sopek."_ Tomek announced the statement to the entire group. _" It is an impressive vessel."_ The administrator murmured to himself. _"Please brace yourself."_ Kuvak stated to the group. Sopek was half-dazed during Kuvak's statement: _"Excuse me?"_ The vessel shook as it made contact with the _Navis Sanctus_. Administrator Sopek jolted forward, and was then restrained by his belt. He hissed to himself. Somal narrowed his eyes: _"Father, are you well?"_

Sopek grimaced: _"I will be fine."_

The shuttle pod's door opened. Tomek and his staff proceeded off the vessel. The administrator and his children was signaled to follow after the area was secured. Somal brushed off his robes. The jolt had wrinkled his clothes. When he looked up, he saw two Klingon soldiers and three Vulman officers standing outside the small vessel.

 _"_ _Administrator!"_ A Vulman male exclaimed as he walked over to the group. _"Captain Dumas! How agreeable to see you again!"_ Sopek raised his hand and made the _ta'al._ Dumas repeated his manner. _"You must be Somal."_ He greeted the young man in a similar manner. _"Greetings, Captain. This is a very magnificent vessel."_ Somal responded after raising the _ta'al. "Yes, the Navis Sanctus is a ship so extraordinary that our ancestors from the fatherland would have been filled with pride."_ The captain stated positively. Sopek raised an eyebrow: _"Pride is an emotion, Dumas. Even if our great- great grandfathers were still alive, I doubt they would ever admit to such a thing."_

An awkward silence filled the room. The Klingon men looked highly confused. Somal spoke up: " _Captain, when is the Navis Sanctus scheduled to depart?"_ Dumas replied to him: _"We are scheduled to leave for NX-156 in approximately seventeen hours and thirty-eight minutes. However, please be here two hours in advanced for departure. The ship is set to leave at 8.00 a.m. sharp."_ Somal shook his head.

The captain turned around and walked up the stairs. A Klingon nudged Somek: _"Follow him!"_ He commanded the boy. Somek raised both his eyebrows. The Klingon clearly had no bedside manner. Tomek snapped at the warrior and placed his right hand on his phase pistol. The Klingon walked straight past him with no fear what so ever.

T'Hana crinkled her nose at the soldier as they followed. She had attended to enough injured Klingons in her life to understand their arrogant demeanor. They took pride in themselves when proven superior to others. _" Forgive him, he is the perfect example of haughty youth. I will see that he is punished if he presents this kind of behavior on our mission."_ The second Klingon stated to her. Somal turned to the alien in shock as the group entered an escalator: _" You will be accompanying us to NX-156?"_

Captain Dumas spoke up: _"For security purposes, the Vulman High Command made a request for us to be escorted by a Klingon battalion. "_ Kuvak looked startled: _"I beg your pardon."_ Kuvak was positive he had not heard the man incorrectly. Captain Dumas attempted to reiterate: _"I stated, …"_ The Administrator interrupted the captain. _"He heard you the first time, Dumas."_ The escalator doors opened. The captain was the first to step out. Sopek's four security guards followed him.

Somal followed his peers. The quietness of the airlock had long been suppressed. He entered a noisy corridor. He found the hallway to be just as maniacal as the landing pad. A tiny Vulman woman walked past with a box of tools. She was clearly distracted for she rammed the back of her box into Somal's shoulder. He flashed around and hissed. Somal was on the verge of losing his temper when he realized who he was dealing with. _"T'Lin,"_ he said in amazement. He had not seen her in many years.

She looked confused. Her eyes then narrowed with comprehension and lightly smiled. _"Somal, it has been too long."_ He reciprocated her warmth by lightly touching her shoulder. He took a moment to admire her physical form. She had clearly grown into a beautiful woman while he was away at law school. She had a handsome face, dark blue eyes, and long curly brown hair. He was about to say more when his father interrupted their conversation. _"T'Lin, my dear, you look well!"_ She smiled at the administrator. _" As do you, Sir. My mother sends her greetings. She wishes me to inform you that next time she see you, she 'hopes it won't be on the battlefield'."_

Somek suppressed a chuckle. T'Min was furious with their father launching the Navis Sanctus early. Sopek looked very uncomfortable. For once, the Klingons understood the Vulman idiom and looked highly amused. _" Are you in need of assistance?"_ Somal inquired to his friend. She shook her head. _"No. I am heading to engineering. However, if you wish, I can give you a tour of the vessel. Well, at least the parts I have been to. "_ Somal responded: _"That would be agreeable."_

Captain Dumas interrupted them: _"I am currently giving a tour at the moment commander."_ T'Lin smiled at him. _"In that case, enjoy your tour."_ There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice. T'Lin then turned and walked the other direction. Kuvak whispered to Tomek: _" Why didn't you ask for her identification, Sir? Couldn't she have posed a threat to the administrator?"_ He said half humorously, half seriously. Tomek raised an irritated eyebrow: _"Don't you have some place to be Doctor Kuvak?"_ Kuvak smiled: _"Sadly, I do. It was agreeable to see you again, Somal. It was also nice to meet your family."_ He raised his hand and made the _ta'al_. _"Peace and long life, Administrator. Thank you for the V.I.P entrance."_ Sopek smirked and repeated the act. Kuvak turned around and headed for the lab.

…

The group abandoned the corridor and headed for the main entrance. They entered a room as large as an auditorium. Somal looked around and noted that there were nearly three-dozen Klingon soldiers in the area. T'Hana leaned into her brother and whispered: _"This place resembles the images of Kronos."_ Somal tried to contain his amusement, so he instead glared at her. The elder Klingon was walking right behind them. Somek turned to the captain: _"How many military personal will be serving on this ship?"_ He asked, as he tried to be politically correct. _"We have hired 100 of the best Klingon soldiers that Kronos has to offer."_

Somek shook his head. He watched as the Klingons walked past and towered above him. _"Yes,"_ he stated. _"You clearly have."_ Somal bit his lip. The Andorians were going to think they were commanding a war vessel. This fact displeased him immensely. He observed his fellow Vulmen's demeanor. _"Remember,"_ Somal whispered to his brother and sister, _"They are more afraid of us than we are of them. We control the exchange rate and the trading prices."_ Somek smirked: _"Yes, it is very assuring to know we can control them by the weight of our pocket books."_ He added with sarcasm.

Sopek overheard Somek and glared at his son. The boy lowered his head. Somal focused on the crew. Each crewmen or crewwoman had been selected with proper precision. A majority of the crew had either come from the different regions of Neovulterra or the Archaic Mining Colonies. Many of the staff would be required to spend the night on the ship do to the long distance from home. Luggage and cargo was being transported for the journey.

The group left the massive room and entered on additional escalator. They exited several minutes later and were then escorted into a small debriefing room. Sopek, along with his three children, followed Dumas and his associates into the room. Tomek and his men attempted to follow, but were cut off by the younger Klingon. _"Administration and officers only. This is meeting is confidential."_ The warrior hissed to the guard. Tomek raised his eyebrow. He then took a step forward and leaned into the Klingon's personal space. He murmured into his ear: _" I am part of his administration."_ The beast grinned his razor sharp teeth. The administrator overheard the quarrel from the room: _"Tomek, you are free to pass."_ The chief guard pushed past the Klingon. _"Please send your men back to the airlock. We will be leaving shortly."_ Tomek turned to his men and fired his orders. He then moved to the corner of the room.

 _"_ _Let us all take a seat."_ Captain Dumas exclaimed to his fellow officers. T'Hana, Somal, and Somek, like small children, sat in a line on a side bench. Their father sat at the head of the circular table, and was positioned directly next to the bench. The officers viewed the young adults rather strangely. Sopek spoke up: _"There is plenty of room if you wish to sit up here."_ Embarrassed, the three adults stood up and sat around the circular table.

T'Hana and Somek curiously stared at one another. They felt honored to sit by their father's side, especially at such a pivotal moment in history. There was a long silence. Administrator Sopek then spoke up: _"What I am about to tell all of you is highly confidential. If anyone of you are found to have spoken of this event, you will be executed for high treason!"_ Somal and his siblings were flabbergasted. The officers remained emotionless.

 _"_ _March 18, 2123_ ," Sopek stated rather firmly. A dead silence hung in the air. _"Today, nearly 32 years ago a vessel from the fatherland crashed on our world."_ Captain Dumas raised his eyebrow in confusion. _"Sir, the first ships to arrive on Neovulterra were nearly 242 years ago. They were slave ships from the Carpathians region, traveling from the fatherland and Mater Terra."_

Administer Sopek starred emotionlessly at him. _"That was not what I was referring to, Captain."_ There was another rather odd silence. He continued on: _" Nearly 32 years ago, a group of Vulcans were forced to abandon ship after encountering a blind hyperactive spot in the Archaic System. The ship's functions were completely forced off online and their engine exploded."_

Somal narrowed his eyes: _"Vulcan?"_ He mouthed the strange, yet familiar word. _" They were the pure-blood descendants of the fatherland._ _Your great-great-great grandfather was Vulcan."_ The administrator answered his son. _"Go on,"_ Captain Dumas urged him. _" Shuttle pods were deployed out of survival for they had no other choice but to abandon ship."_ Somal shifted his head. _"What happened to them, Sir?"_ Sopek frowned to himself: _"Twenty five members of the crew where killed in the Archaic Asteroid belt. Their unguided pods were ruptured by unanticipated collisions."_ He continued on: _"However, one shuttle pod managed to successfully mitigate the asteroid belt and land on Neovulterra. Fifteen passengers managed to survive the crash."_

The officers shifted awkwardly in their places. Somal could see in his father's eyes he was telling the truth. _"Administrator,"_ he stated cautiously, _" All do respect, why has this information been with held from the Vulmen people? If this is true, then our Neovulterran history is nothing but fabrications. I was under the impression their had been no direct interactions between these supposed 'pure-blooded' Vulcans and the Vulmen people since they conceived the first generation Neovulterrans with the Terrans."_ He squinted at his father's demeanor. _"Yes administrator, if this is true, then why are we learning of this highly important occurrence now, nearly 32 year later after the crash?"_ The Captain asked him.

Sopek spoke: _" Five days ago, I was traveling outside the capital city of Akbar when ministers of the Vulmen High Council and myself encountered a rather disturbing predicament. We traveled to an undisclosed location, for we were meeting with the kingpin of the illegal drug trade. However, he did not follow through with his side of the agreement and failed to show."_

Somal's eyes widened: _" You went to meet the 'Basileus.'"_ Slight anger leaked into his voice. He had assisted his father with tracking black market activities to expose corruption. Sopek, his own father, had taken his information without his consent. Sopek was oblivious to Somal's discontent: _" Unbeknown to Vulmen High Command, the 'Basileus' managed to undermine security. Our location had been revealed ahead of time."_ Somal watched Tomek involuntarily flinch. _" A bomb was released which destroyed all of the surrounding evidence of the drug trade. Three of my top men were injured. One was killed."_ Tomek added with shame lurking in his voice.

Somal was furious: _"There was an assassination attempt on your life! Who is responsible for this?"_ He stood up in anger. _" Sit down, Somal."_ Sopek raised his voice. _"Father,"_ Somal tried to plead with the older man. _"Sit down!"_ He stated angrily. Somal reluctantly returned to his seat. _" The distressed crew was retrieved and placed under watch by the Vulmen High Command."_ Sopek attempted to continue with his previous conversation. _" In all do respect, Sir, I fail to see how this is relevant to your current attempted murder."_ One quiet Vulmen officer exclaimed to his superior. The captain turned to his subordinate: _" Corporal Gladius, please be silent and let the Administrator continue."_ He hissed to the younger Vulmen.

The other mysterious vulmen officer interrupted: _"No sir, I believe Corporal Gladius question is highly legitimate."_ She then turned to the administrator: _" Are you attempting to imply these 'Vulcans', from the original vessel that landed 32 years ago, have some connection to do with the underground Neovulterran drug trade?"_ The administrator nodded his head at the young woman. She was clearly highly perceptive for her age.

Sopek chose his own words carefully. _"Before the bombing occurred within the facility, we stumbled across a dismembered figure."_ Somal inquired as he leaned in to listen with concern. _"Dismembered figure?"_ Sopek pulled a pad out of his pocket. He slid the pad across the table to his son and spoke: _" DNA test revealed the corpse belonged to a physician named Stollen V'Larn. He was 162.34 years of age."_

Somal opened the pad and examined the imagery. He had been expecting a death certificate. Instead, he was met with a gruesome murder scene. A nude body lay haphazardly across the floor. His right arm appeared to have been surgically removed. Blood was scattered throughout the floor. Green writing from previous released body fluids lay dormant on his chest.

Somal read the writing before he passed the pad reluctantly to his sister. He was surprised to find that the writing was in a more minor _'Vulcan'_ dialect known as _Ra'al_ , rather than the more affluent version from the capital city of _Shi'Karia_. Somal raised his eyebrow in disdained curiosity. Vulglish, a hybridized language that fell between Shi'Karia Vulcan and English, was predominately spoken in social outings. _Shi'Karia 'Vulcan' and English Standard_ were taught in all public schools and were referred to as the languages of learning. However, only the elite and the most prominent scholars studied more exclusive languages, like _Ra'al Vulcan_ and classical Latin.

 _Ra'al_ was used to translate the original teachings of Surak. The language was rarely used as a source of communication. _"This murderer was clearly highly educated in linguistics."_ Somal exclaimed to the group. The other woman shook her head: _" You are applying Vulman principles to the unknown. For all we know, the Vulcans murdered this victim personally, and Ra'al is compulsorily language of study on their world."_

The elder Klingon picked up the tab and rubbed his mane: _" What so ever does this writing say."_ He scrunched his nose at the vulgar image. Even Klingons had a threshold for disgust. Somal spoke up: **_" We know who you are, son of Vulcan. You shall pay for your treachery against the T'Prim and her people."_** Sopek picked up the pad and scrolled to the next image. A demonic symbol , the pentagon, was painted with blood on the wall. **_"This shall be your destruction."_** A discombobulated image of an asteroid was splattered inside the pentagon.

The sight was rather chilling to look out. Dumas murmured out a curse word. Somal looked up: _"This is Satana."_ Sopek nodded his head: _" The ship, the T'Prim, transported 40 Vulcans across space, and was never witnessed by her people again."_ Somal took a breath and made an inquiry: _" What happened to the surviving crew?"_ Sopek looked rather uncomfortable: _"They were given a decision. They could chose to reside on Neovulterra or the Archaic mining colonies in peace for the rest of their life."_

Captain Dumas shifted his head sideways at the words _'in peace':_ _"Weren't they given the option to return to their world? Did their people ever come looking for them?"_ Sopek frowned at his peers. Somek and Corporal Gladius leaned forward in interest. _" We could not risk exposure to unwanted visitors. The Vulman High Command gave them the option to reside in the Archaic System peace, as long as they sought to keep quiet about their heritage and integrate into our society. A handful were able to fulfill our requirements. However, many were 'unsatisfied' with these terms. They repaired their technology and managed to send out a distress call."_

T'Hana leaned in forward: _"And?"_ Tomek interrupted the Administrator's next response: _"They violated the terms to reside upon our world. In return, the Vulcans were executed."_ Somal raised his eyebrows. He knew better than to challenge his father. Dumas and the other Vulmen were mortified. Nevertheless, they managed to repress their flabbergasted emotions. Somal spoke as he grinded his teeth: _" How many were killed?"_ Sopek eyed his shoes in shame and then made eye contact. _"Six were executed for high treason."_

Corporal Gladius spoke: _"What happened to the other nine crew members?"_ Sopek took a deep breath: _"Four chose to integrate into our society. Their recent whereabouts here remained unknown until recently."_ The corporal spoke up: _"If we are aware of their current positions, why have we not placed their arrest."_ The unnamed Vulmen woman raised an eyebrow: _"We clearly have no knowledge of the others location. However, something clearly tragic occurred that managed to bring this importance revelation to light. I assume this Doctor Stollen V'Larn had something to do with the original crew?"_ She turned to the administrator.

Administrator Sopek's eyes widened slightly. He had met many intelligent people over the course of his lifetime. Yet, something different lay dormant in the character of this young woman. He nodded to her and made a personal inquiry: _"What is your name, child."_ The young woman shifted her head: _" I am T'Pel."_ The Administrator raised an eyebrow: _"Your rank, my dear?"_ She shook her head: _" I am not an officer, Administrator Sopek. The Vulman High Command hired me as an independent consultant. I am a lawyer who is employed by the Archaic Mining Colonies. I am also the chief mining engineer for my sector. I was sent to assist your son, Somal, to evaluate the worth of the varying materials and the conditions of 'Sata" … I mean NX-156."_

 _"_ _I see."_ He said eyeing her suspiciously. _" Where did you receive your recommendation?"_ T'Pel spoke blankly: _"Your colleague Torik, the chief mining engineer of Neovulcana, nominated me for this position. Is there a problem, Sir? "_ She leaned forward. Sopek shook his head. _"No, I was simply curious. Back to the original discussion, T'pel is correct. Doctor Stollen was highly involved. He was the physician for the crew of the T'Prim. He was of full Vulcan descent."_

 _"_ _Whatever then occurred to the other five additional crew members?"_ Somal inquired to his father. Sopek blinked lightly: _"After several years of debate, they were successfully trialed and found non-guilty. However, these Vulcans, four male and one female, were forced to remain in the capital city under close watch. Reluctantly, these crewmembers were forced to reintegrate into our society. Some chose to intermarry with our people and start a new life. Doctor Stollen was one of the original five-crew members. He served our people faithfully for many years and made large medical advancement in regards to Panar Syndrome, and Pon Farr. "_

The tips of Somal and Somek's ears turned bright green at their father's statement. Captain Dumas starred blankly and spoke up: _"Why was Stollen killed? Did he have a connection to the drug trade?"_ Sopek shifted his head in regret: _"I regret I cannot answer your inquiry. His body was found at the scene of a potential meeting. Dr. Stollen was reported by his peers to be a man of integrity. His involvement with such an infringed organization seemed out of par."_

Sopek shook his head: _"Nevertheless, the message left near his body was filled with anti-Vulcan rhetoric. Few members were aware of the landing of the Vulcans those many years ago."_ Somal shifted his head: _"Who was specifically aware of their landing?"_ Sopek took a breath: _"Only the highest members of the Vulman High Command, the council of physicians, and the chief members of the archaic mining belt."_ Somal narrowed his eyes: _" Did Stollen serve on the council of physicians?"_

Sopek nodded his head. _" Then it is safe to assume that he, along with the other four Vulcans employed by the Vulmen High Command, had full access to classified information."_ Somal stated blankly. Sopek nodded his head: _"Unfortunately, yes."_ Somal narrowed his eyes: _"If Stollen had access to classified information, then others could have easily viewed him as threat to Neovulterra's security."_ Sopek grimaced at his son. _"What could Stollen have possibly done to upset a fellow member of the Vulmen High Command? More importantly, what connection does he have to 'Satana' and who is this 'Son of Vulcan.'"_

The crew looked confused. Somal pointed to the image: **_" We know who you are, son of Vulcan. You shall pay for your treachery against the T'Prim and her people."_** He read out the bloody writing. _"You stated there were nine surviving crew members after execution. Five remained in captivity for the remainder of their life. What happened to the original four who chose to accept 'Neovulterran society?'"_ Somal inquired to his father. Sopek nodded his head: _"While they have made their presence known, we cannot disclose their location due to security reasons. However, your reasoning is sound."_

Somal shook his head and read the next section: **_"This shall be your destruction."_** He looked at his fellow colleagues. _" Another Vulcan is going to be killed."_ He stated bluntly. _"Why?"_ Gladius spoke up: _"Perhaps members of the original four blame the death of their peers on the other five."_ Somal shook his head: _"That doesn't make any sense. The note's addressed to one Vulcan. Singular. Masculine. Why kill Stollen then threaten the life of an additional Vulcan?"_

Somal turned his head to his father: _"What positions did the other known members occupy in the High Command."_ Sopek spoke to his son: _" V'Lan was a mechanical engineer and aeronautical specialist. He helped design schematics of the first Vulman warp vessel. He also trained T'Min, T'Lin's mother, in the art of engineering. Malik was a weapons and security specialist. He occupied a position in our world's top defense program for several years. Sturn was a language specialist and Vulcan priest. He was also Stollen's fraternal twin brother. Last, T'Ria was the commanding officer. She was often referred to as a renaissance woman. She was a mathematician and an architect. She redesigned the format of our capital city after the first Neovulterran-Carpathian World War. She recently retired from her position."_

Captain Dumas raised his eyebrow: _"These five Vulcans have contributed immensely to the growth of society, yet we have never acknowledged their merit?"_ It was reasonable question to inquire. Sopek spoke: _"They were asked to conduct their life in peace. The High Command, however, did not wish them to draw attention to themselves. Nevertheless, the High Command did seek to utilize their abilities to achieve technological, medical, and social advancements."  
_ _" Did any of these Vulcans have a connection to NX-156?"_ Somal inquired as he attempted to bring the conversation back to the original point. Sopek shook his head: _" The High Command is attempting to find a connection as we speak. We suspect the 'missing' four have something to do with the Archaic Mining Colonies. Nevertheless, I have came here to inform you to be aware."_ He turned to Dumas: _"Captain, I have come to inform you to take proper security precautions. I would not want anything to intervene with your journey to NX-156."_

Dumas narrowed his eyes in concern: _"Administrator, is there something you are attempting to inform me?"_ Sopek nodded his head. _"We believe a Vulcan has possibly infiltrated to High Command."_ He shook his head. _"The High Command has been divided as of late. This mission has been of great controversy. I suspect one of the Vulcans from the crash is attempting to influence our decisions regarding deep space travel and interspecies relations."_ Sopek spoke more softly: _"We cannot afford to fail. The future of tomorrow weighs on our shoulders."_

Somal shook his head in agreement. _"But remember, Captain. If the Andorian's ask, we have no ties to either the Vulcan or the Terran government."_ Sopek stated lightly. Dumas shifted his head and raised his eyebrow. _"What should we tell them then, Administrator Sopek?"_ He was clearly highly confused. Sopek smirked: _"What else Captain, but the truth? We are the Vulmen!"_

 _..._

 **Greetings Readers. Thank you all for taking the time to peruse my story. This is the first fanfiction I have written in a long time. Feel free to review. I am always looking for some constructive criticism. I have already wrote the next few chapters for this story. However, the chapters are currently in revision. Forgive me, I struggle with grammar. I will try to update once a week. However, I cannot promise anything. I am two week away from my AP exams. These examinations are currently my top priority. I will update more frequently after I have completed the following. Thanks again ;-).**

 **\- RogueOne20**


	2. Chapter 1: Vale Neovulterra

**Author's Note: Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. I understand many of you have questions. The creation behind the "Vulmen" species will be revealed in the 4th Chapter. I can, however, answer a few of your questions. I revealed in Chapter 1, the scene between Somal, Sopek, and Dumas, that the Vulmen's ancestors (Vulcans and Humans) were brought to Neovulterra as slaves by a third species known as the Carpathians. I also revealed the Vulmen and the Carpathians engaged in a series of wars. If you did not pick up on these facts, I apologize. You may need to go back to read the last scene in the first chapter. This is a critical moment in the plot. Thank you again for reading. Please review :-). **

**\- Sincerely RogueOne20**

Chapter 1

The vessel was completely silent. No one dared to speak a word during the journey back to their family's estate. Tomek spoke aloud: _"We are here, Sir."_ Sopek nodded to his guard. _"Thank you, Tomek. That will be all for tonight. Please be here by 4:45 a.m. We will need to leave by 5:00 a.m. sharp. We must be on the ship by 6:00 a.m."_ Tomek nodded to his superior. _"Yes, Sir."_ He exited the vessel and opened the door. Sopek exited the vehicle and his children followed him.

Sopek looked to his son. _"What time is it?"_ Somal opened his side pouch and pulled out a pad. _"It is 9:54 p.m."_ Sopek shook his head. One of his servants opened the door. _"Osu,"_ The older vulman exclaimed. _"Your wife has been expressing her concern for you for hours."_ Sopek eyes widened in fear. _"Is all well?"_ The man nodded his head. _"She is in labor."_ Sopek looked token back: _"Have you informed midwife?"_

The servant nodded back to his master. _"Yes, she is upstairs in your chambers."_ Sopek pushed pass the servant. Somal glanced at the servant. _"Lumark, why were not informed of our mother's labor?"_ The servant's words stumbled in fear: _"We were unable to reach you on the ship."_ He stammered out. Somal's hardened expression softened. _"I see, do not be stricken with fear Lumark, this is a joyous occasion."_

The servant relaxed. _"Yes Osu, thank you."_ Somal offered him a light smile. _"Your welcome. Now go and fetch us a bottle of wine and champagne. We must celebrate."_ The servant acknowledged his request and scuffled through the house. _" I thought celebrating a birth only involved champagne and cigars? What in the name of Neovulterra is wine for ?"_ Somek asked his older brother. T'Hana raised an eyebrow. _"The champagne is for father. He is currently putting up with an overwhelming range of emotions."_

Somek raised his eyebrows. _"Who is the wine for?"_ Somal spoke up: _"For me and T'Hana, we both have had a long day."_ Somek grinned to him. _"May I have some?"_ Somal shook his head: _"No. Good night little brother."_ Somek grimaced and headed inside. Somal and T'Hana watched each other as they stood in the cold darkness.

Tomek interrupted their silence. _"Sir, I am leaving for the night."_ Somal shook his head. _"Congratulations, Sir. May you rejoice in the increase in your household."_ Somal smiled lightly through the darkness. _"Thank you, Tomek."_ The guard bowed his head, walked through the gate, and proceeded to lock the door.

T'Hana smiled to herself. _"See, he is not completely emotionless."_ She stated to her brother. _"I do not care. Till this day, he is the only man that makes me feel like a child."_ Somal stated bluntly. _"You are a child in a man's body."_ T'Hana replied to him in amusement. Somal resisted ruling his eyes. Somal and his sister entered the massive estate. The house help appeared to be scattered with the younger children.

 _"Mommy!"_ A small child cried aloud. Somal raised an eyebrow to see his nephew. The small boy appeared to be hiding in a the clothing basket under a sheet. _"K'Las, where is your younger sister?"_ T'Hana exclaimed with concern in her voice. The four year old simply raised his arms. T'Hana moved to pick him up. He immediately hugged her: _"Is grandmother going to die?"_ He whispered in her ear. T'Hana raised an eyebrow. _"No, but I may if we do not clean up this huge mess."_

She turned to her female servant. _"Luma, why is K'Las not in bed?"_ Luma sighed in remorse. _" I am sorry, Madame. I have been too busy assisting the midwife, and putting your daughter T'Sina to bed."_ T'Hana nodded to her. _"How far along is she?"_ The servant spoke: _"She is slightly dilated. However, she has several hours before birth."_ Somal nodded to her. _"I was under the impression she was not supposed to be due for another month."_ Somal murmured to his sister. T'Hana shifted her head as her toddler placed his head on her shoulder. _"These things happen, Somal. Please take pity on her, she is having twins."_ Somal's eyes widened slightly: _"If this place was not filled with turmoil, it will be now!"_ T'Hana glared at him.

An alarm went off in the kitchen. Somal and T'Hana moved quickly to the other room. Their prepubescent siblings, T'Mina and Misha, stood over a boiling pot of water. _"What do you think you are doing?"_ Somal raised his voice. _"Don't speak to the children that way."_ T'Hana scolded her brother. She sat her son on a seat. _"What is the matter?"_ She sat next to her younger siblings. Tears were in their eyes. _"Mommy is in pain."_ T'Mina stated with grave sadness. _"She is in childbirth. Childbirth is painful. T'Hana please explain the process to them."_ Somal was exasperated.

T'Hana chose to ignore his remark. _"Mommy is giving birth."_ She took her two younger siblings in her arms. She kissed her brother Misha on the head. _"What specifically are you trying to achieve?"_ Somal stated more calmly. _"We thought making some tea would make mommy feel better. But then the smoke accidently set the fire alarm off."_ Misha exclaimed with some embarrassment.

The alarm continued to go off. Somal picked up his nephew and place him in T'Mina's arms. He stood up on the chair and turned off the alarm. _" I think it is time you all go to bed."_ Somal stated to his siblings as he rubbed his eyes. _"Misha and T'Mina, why don't you both take K"Las upstairs? You can all sleep in my bedroom."_ T'Hana exclaimed to her family. Somal snickered to himself: _"Won't they be the envy of your husband? I was under the impression he did not like to share."_ Somal added with sarcasm.

T'Hana chose to ignore his vulgar remark. While Somal turned of the burner, the children reluctantly left the room. _" Your sarcasm is not appreciated."_ She murmured under her breath. Somal shifted his head and retorted: _"Neither are your false prescriptions."_ She flashed her head at him. _"Is that what this is about?"_ Somal was quiet. He moved the pan off the burner.

The servant known as Lumark returned. _"Your wine, Sir."_ He held two fine glasses and an expensive bottle of wine. Somal thanked the then took the items from him. Quietly, the two young adults tiptoed up the stairs. After climbing up four stories, Somal and T'Hana reached their parents chambers. Screaming filled their ears. Three elderly servants scrambled outside the door. The midwife briefly came out to retrieve two towels.

T'Hana stopped the woman. _"How is she?"_ The midwife gave her a small smile. _"She is well. We should have two healthy children in a few hours."_ Somal shook his head. _"That is agreeable."_ T'Hana glanced at him: _"I can think of a few stronger words than that."_ Somal turned to the midwife again. _"That is very agreeable."_ He added a tad more emphasis to his statement. They then followed the midwife into their parents chambers.

Their mother lay on her bed, writhing in her sheets. Sopek sat directly by her side. She was typically a very composed and sophisticated woman. However, she had now abandoned all logic. _"Sopek,"_ she growled, _"these are the last children I shall bear you."_ She hissed as a large contraction occurred. T'Hana resisted rolling her eyes. She had given birth to two children and witnessed enough women in labor to understand the intense emotions felt during childbirth. These erratic profanities murmured by her mother would pass.

Somal eyebrows raised her response. _"How do you feel mother?"_ He asked her respectfully. She narrowed her eyes. _"Come here."_ His mother, Keria, motioned with her free hand. Somal stepped forward and lightly touched his mother's arm. A surge of intense emotions entered his system. He immediately felt consumed with the conflicting emotions of joy, pain, love, and anger. His eyebrows shot clear into his hairline as he jumped back. He then dropped a wine glasses on the floor.

 _"What was that?"_ Sopek asked as he bolted from his seat. _"Nothing."_ Somal murmured as he picked up large shards of glass. He motioned one of the servants to sweep up the remaining pieces. Somal sat his remaining glass and bottle down. _"Come here, my son."_ Keria boldly exclaimed and Somal cautiously moved in. _"I have been informed you are leaving early tomorrow on the Navis Sanctus **.** I wish to say goodbye to you before then." _She took a deep breath between her endless pants. _"Mother …"_ Somal was going to respond to her final statement. She shook her head. _"Let me grace you a few words of wisdom. Work hard my son … be fair …but most importantly ... trust no one."_

Somal raised his eyebrow. _"Mother, I believe the child birthing drugs are making you paranoid."_ Keria leaned in to her son's personal space and pulled on the outer layer of his robes: _"I said trust no one! Promise me."_ Somal caved into his mother's request. _"I promise!"_ Fear trickled into her voice. Somal raised an eyebrow at her erratic behavior. He noted his father had a blank stare and then looked down to his mother again. He gasped for air. Somal then looked at his father again and got no further response.

T'Hana leaned in forward. _"Mother, do you wish for me to stay and assist you."_ Keria shook her head: _"My dear, you have your own children to worry about."_ T'Hana stroked her clothed arm: _"Are you sure you do not wish for me to stay?"_ She nodded her head. Another contraction occurred in place of the previous one. She groaned in response.

Somal leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. He was immediately hit with a new wave of intense emotion. Somal chose to suppress the horrid feeling. _"I love you. When I return in a few weeks, we shall celebrate."_ Keria rolled her eyes. T'Hana repeated his motion. She stopped briefly by her father and stroked his arm. T'Hana then followed her brother.

Somal headed up a second flight of stairs. He pushed open a door that led them outside to the roof. The roof was often used as an entertainment area for visitors. Their parents would often host formal events there. However, tonight, the roof sat empty. Somal looked around. The chairs and tables had been recently removed and placed into storage. He walked over to the small shed in the corner of the patio.

He opened the door and removed two large cushions from the shed. After closing the door, he dragged the supplies over to the middle of the roof patio. He sat down and opened the wine bottle. T'Hana moved to the cushion next to him. He poured her the remaining glass and handed her the cup. She took the glass and thanked him. Somal chose to drink out of the bottle while she sipped her drink. She wrinkled her nose at his behavior.

 _"Slow down. Do you want to have a head ache tomorrow?"_ T'Hana warned her brother. _"Perhaps."_ Somal exclaimed with a hint of humor. She rolled her eyes. _"I am simple concerned for your well-being."_ T'Hana spoke to her brother genially. Somal nodded his head: _"I know."_ T'Hana gave him a small smile: _"Father will be unable to escort you to the hanger tomorrow."_ Somal shook his head. _" With our current development, I wouldn't expect anything less."_

There was great silence. _"Will you contact me?"_ Somal asked his sister. T'Hana raised her eyebrow. _"Yes, of course, everyday."_ Somal smiled and patted her leg. Another odd silence occurred. _"It is different to view the structure of our family in this regard. Technically, your son and daughter will older than our youngest siblings."_ Somal spoke aloud. T"Hana viewed him quizzically. _"You view that strange?"_ Somal shook his head. _"No, I find this different. This falls outside the traditional norm."_ There was a long silence before he opted to change the conversation.

 _"Have you heard from your husband?"_ Somal inquired to his older sister. She shook her head in pain: _"The High Command has him serving on a top secret mission. They have been unable to disclosed his whereabouts. The only thing the High Command conveyed was that he will not be back for several months."_ Somal narrowed his eyes. _" Your husband has been gone for nearly two years, three months, and five days."_ T'Hana shook her head. _" I know,"_ tears formed in her eyes. _"What if he is harmed?"_

Somal hardened his gaze. He leaned in closer to his sister. _"Do exclaim such horrendous thoughts."_ She shook her head. _" I can feel him through our bond. Sometimes, I feel him intentionally shut me out, as if he is hiding something. Worse, he never seeks to contact me."_ Somal shifted his head. _"He may not have the option."_ He tried to soothe her. She moved her head in resentment: _"_ _I know._ _However,_ _it_ _does not help that my own father knows of my husband's whereabouts, and yet I am not permitted to know such."_ T'Hana said as she attempted to suppress her tears. She shook her head in pain. _" There have been too many secrets."_

 _"I know."_ Somal responded, but T'Hana simply interrupted him. _"Does this really surprise you? Can you believe something like this has happened?"_ Somal shifted his head. _"I do not think father has intentionally has tried to keep you from your husband."_ T'Hana shook her head and then frowned. _"That is not what I meant."_ Somal stared at her in confusion. _"A potential vulcan sleeper cell is in the Vulmen High Command. We have been residing on this world for nearly 242 years. You would thought by now the Vulcan would have come to learn of our existence."_

He shook his head. " _That_ _is a logical conclusion."_ He took another breath and turned to his sister. _" However, if these Vulcans know of our existence, why have they not sought to make contact us? We are of their kind. In some way, this makes us one of their own."_ T'Hana shook her head. _"But we are not one them, Somal. We are Vulmen, not Vulcan. To them, we may be nothing more than their illegitimate bastard children."_

 _"You imply that we are a disgrace, and that our race was concieved out of wedlock. You know this is highly untrue."_ Somal grimaced. She laughed at him. _"That is relative, my dear brother. In some regard, we are a gift to Neovulterra. We have the potential to be a saving grace of logic to Terra. However, we may simply be the piercing thorn to Vulcan."_ T'Hana spoke to her brother. Somal humored his sister: _"Well then, it is a good thing the thorn symbolizes redemption from sin in the holy Catholic bible."_ T'Hana rolled her eyes. _"That is not want what I was attempting to convey."_ Somal gave a quick smirk and turned his head to the sky. Twin moons lay dormat in the dark midst. The stars were distributed across the haze like coconut powder on a cake. Somal briefly wondered what lay behind the unknown.

…

Somal had not slept the following night; neither had his elder sister. After exiting the roof terrace at approximately 12:03 a.m., he and his sister returned the fifth floor of the family estate. They had attempted to wait for an additional two-hours. However, after 2:45 a.m., their father had insisted they go to sleep. Their mother would not give birth for a few more hours. Reluctantly, his children agreed to his request, simply to please him.

Somal had started his routine 4:00 a.m. He scurried around his bedroom in attempt to compose himself. Somal retrieved his required uniform and luggage. Lumark and Luma graciously transported his suitcases to the family flitter. Somal was attempting to shave when he heard a knock at his bedroom door. He turned around and then glanced back at mirror: _"Come in."_ He exclaimed loudly enough for the person to hear. He was surprised to see his sister's reflection in the mirror.

He grabbed a towel and wiped the foam from his face. _"Father wishes for me to escort you to the hanger. He will be unable to accompany you do to our mother's current state."_ T'Hana finished. Somal shook his head. _"How is her labor continuing?"_ T'Hana shrugged her shoulders. _"I would have expected she would have given birth by now. However, these things often take time."_ Somal nodded to her. He felt partially guilty for leaving at such a crucial time in his family's development.

Another knock came from the door. Lumark entered the door. _"Good morning, Osu. Here is your breakfast."_ He came bearing tea, fruit, and a baguette. Somal nodded his head in acknowledgment: _"Thank you, Lumark. Please place the food on my desk."_ Lumark followed his instructions. _"Would you like some nourishment, T'sia?"_ He asked politely. T'Hana declined his offer. He then left the bedroom.

 _" Please be safe my brother."_ T'Hana exclaimed gently. Somal raised his eyebrow, before he gave her a tiny smile. _"I will."_ He responded to her. She leaned in and gave him a quick hug. Somal responded by kissing her briefly on the top of the head. She pulled back and patted him on the shoulder. _"I shall call you everyday."_ T'Hana told him. Somal nodded his head. _"I will leave you to consume your mourning meal, and I will meet you at the flitter in twenty three minutes."_ T'Hana exclaimed to him. She then left the room and Somal quickly consumed his meal and grabbed his tea.

Somal tip toed down the hall to his parent's bedroom. His mother appeared to be highly medicated, and his father had passed out from sheer exhaustion. Somal raised an eyebrow at the shocking sight. His parents were one of the most polished Vulmen couples on Neovulterra, and yet here they stood in their discombobulated forms. He raised the corners of his mouth to create a slight smile. He walked over to his mother's side and kissed her briefly on the head.

Before he could pull away, his mother grabbed his hand with great force. _"Don't let him take you, …"_ She slurred in his speech. Somal leaned forward. _"What?"_ He attempted to inquire. He attempted to conceal the concern leaking into his voice. _" I said don't let him take you!"_ She exclaimed with anger in her voice. _"Who?"_ Somal said with concern. Tears welded up her eyes. _"There so much to tell you … my son."_ Somal leaned into her space and gave her a quizzical look. _"Tell me what ... exactly ?"_ She did not respond. He reminded himself she was drugged and had no clue what she was talking about. _"If something grave happens, … you must find Soval."_ She took a deep breath. _"Soval will help you!"_

 _"Soval ... who is this Soval?"_ Somal exclaimed half bemused and yet half concerned. She shook her head and then replied. _" You must not return to Neovulterra."_ Keria leaned into his ear: _"Beware my son ... often times thing are not what they seem. Our friends are our really our enemies, an our enemies are discovered to be our greatest friends." She then replied:_ _" I love you, …"_ She said to him.

T'Hana stepped in the doorway. _"Somal, it is time for us to leave."_ Somal looked to his sister and then back at his mother. _"Please be safe."_ She begged him. _"Please be safe."_ She gasped for air. T'Hana raised her eyebrow: _"Mother, I shall be back in two hours."_ The older woman groaned to herself. _"Hopefully, by then, I will have given birth."_

T'Hana gave a brief smile, before a squeal rang through the hall. Her young son entered the room holding her infant daughter. _"K'Las, what are you and T'Sina doing up? It is 4:53 a.m.!"_ K'las stared blankly at his mother: _"She wouldn't sleep."_ Irritation lurked in his voice. T'Hana leaned down and picked up her young child. She began to rock the girl subconsciously. K'las rubbed his eyes. He brushed off his robes.

 _"Where are you going, mommy?"_ K'las inquired to his mother. T'Hana looked down and responded to her son. _"I am taking your uncle to the launch hanger."_ A small grin occurred on his face. _"Shall I come with you?"_ He asked with pleasure. T'Hana looked at her brother: _"Where are the servants?"_ He responded to her statement: _"With the midwife, down the hall."_

T'Hana sighed in regret. She did not want her children to become a burden while she was away. Her mother needed more attention now than ever. She nodded her head to him: _"Please go put on some proper robes. We will be leaving in seven minutes."_ The young boy smiled and darted out of the room. _" Are you ready to leave?"_ T'Hana inquired to her brother. He nodded his head. Somal turned one last time: _" Goodbye mother!"_ He then patted his sleeping father on the shoulder and headed out the door.

He walked down the multiple flights of stairs. Lumark and Luma appeared to be socializing. However, they immediately refrained from speaking in his presence. _"Osu,"_ Lumark spoke, _"are you ready to leave?"_ Somal nodded his head in response. _"Then I shall notify Tomek."_ Lumark exclaimed and then left the room. Luma remained in the area. She held a medium sized side bag. _"Your mother wanted me to give this to you."_ Somal raised an eyebrow in response and took the bag. She then raised the ta'al. _"Peace and long life."_ She exclaimed to Somal

Somal repeated the sign and the statement. T'Hana appeared once again with her children. T'Hana and T'Sina both looked exhausted. K'las looked as energetic ever. A thought passed Somal's mind. He immediately wondered if the young boy had dilberately woke his sister up. _"Let us be off."_ He exclaimed to the group: _"We do not wish to be late."_

The family walked through the estate to the outside drive away. The sun had slightly came up over the horizon. The two twin moons were slowly disappearing. Tomek and his entourage of fellow guards appeared to be waiting. Somal walked over the flitter and Tomek opened the door. He allowed his sister and her children to enter the vehicle first. Somal put one foot inside the vehicle before turning around. He took in the image of his childhood home one last time.

Somal then fully entered the vehicle and closed the door. T'Hana appeared to be staring outside the window well into the distance. Somal looked in her direction and then looked back. _"Is everything well?"_ He inquired of her. T'Hana shook her head. _"It is nothing."_ Somal raised an eyebrow at her discomfort. _"Really?"_ He said with some humor in his voice. T'Hana shook her head. _"It is just, these are these moments where I feel everything is about to change."_

Somal shifted his head: _"Change is inevitable sister, dear."_ T'Hana shook her head: _"I mean change for the worse."_ Somal gave her a sympathetic glance: _"T'Hana, do not concern yourself with nonexistent omens. Everything will be fine. Besides, that is probably the wine from last night that is most likely talking."_ T'Hana nodded her head. _"My fear is irrational. I am well aware, yet I sense there is something more father is not telling us."_

Somal put his hands together. He briefly zoned out and thought back to his previous conversation with his mother. **_"If something grave happens, … you must find Soval."_** Somal shook his head. He looked out the window as the flitter exited the estate's gate. Who in the name of _Pater Vulcan_ was Soval anyway?

…

The flitter slowly approached the launch pad. The outside spaceport appeared on the outside as crowded as yesterday. Somal sighed to himself as pure exhaustion consumed him. He could already perceive how awful his next hour spent was going to be. T'Hana briefly glanced out the window. She narrowed her eyes ever so slightly to the same sight her brother had just previously witnessed. The flitter stopped at the curve of the station, Tomek got out of the vehicle and walked directly around to T'Hana's door. He opened the flitter and assisted the _T'sia_ and her children. He then immediately went to the back of the flitter and retrieved Somal's suitcases.

Somal stepped out of the flitter. He waited for Tomek to bring his required luggage to the front of the vehicle. Somal looked at Tomek: _"Thank you."_ The man shook his head. The group then walked to the front door of the large building. A crowd stretched around the opening. Many Vulmen look highly offended. The group could hear voices as they moved closer. _"Ladies and Gentlemen,"_ a man on the podium spoke a loud, _"If you are not registered as member of the High Command, please step aside. All personal transportation leaving our capital city today has been canceled."_ Many members began to shout in protest: _"I have important business in the city of Ramar."_ An investment banker complained in protest.

 _"I am sorry, Sir."_ The flight official replied to the man. _"You flight has been canceled. The reassigned flight will leave at tomorrow morning."_ The banker went on to protest. Somal raised an eyebrow at the sight and attempted to walk past the spaceport guard. He was immediately stopped: _"Your identification card, Sir."_ The guard exclaimed sternly. Somal nodded and fished his badge out of his pocket. The guard nodded in approval: _"Next."_ He yelled. T'Hana and her children attempted to enter. The guard stopped them: _" I am sorry, T'sia. No visitors."_ T'Hana shook her head and pulled out her own personal badge. The guard took the badge and studied it. _"Classified?"_ He remarked with some confusion in his voice. She nodded her head. She, her children, and her guards were allowed to pass after the guard's reluctant analysis was complete. He let her through and allowed her guards to follow.

Somal found the emptiness of the spaceport to be shocking. Thousands of people had been permitted in the station yesterday. Only a few hundred people, however, remained here now. _"This is the calmest I have every seen this place."_ He stated bluntly. T'Hana nodded to her brother in agreement: _"Indeed."_ The family walked farther down the station. Tomek spoke to him: _"Sir, I spoke to the front guard. Any luggage most be scanned before entering the shuttle pod."_ Somal shook his head. Tomek held out a hand for his side bag. Somal handed him his bag. He instantly felt some level of regret for he had no knowledge of the components his mother had given him. Tomek would return after several minutes.

Somal stopped briefly to fill out the required paper work. K'las pulled on his right pant leg. _"Can I go see the spaceship?"_ Somal stopped his writing. He then crouched down to his nephew and gave a slight smile. He stroked the boy's hair. _" For you, one day, a thousand times over."_ K'las was about to respond when a ripple of sound vibrated occurred throughout the station. _"What was that?"_ T'Hana inquired as her daughter released a squeal.

 _"Get down!"_ Tomek screamed from across the floor. Somal grabbed his nephew and instinctly held him to his chest as he dropped to the floor. An explosion shook the ground. Somal waited for several seconds before lifting his head from the surface. Smoke and flames filled the room. Many people lay wounded. As he rose, screams filled the echoing station. Somal looked for his sister in panic. However, she was unable to be found. _"Somal,"_ she screamed to him. She was crouched under a bench with her young daughter. He ran to her. _"Are you well?"_ He asked with fear leaking into his voice. Instead of answering, she pointed to the opposite side of the hall.

Tomek lay on the ground. Blood surrounded his limp body. _"Tomek."_ He screamed the guard's name. He ran to his side with his nephew tucked under his arm. The man had a nasty wound located on his forehead. Somal checked his pulse. He was relieved to find the man was still alive. He quickly turned to his nephew. Somal pulled off K'las's outer robe. He then turned back to Tomek and wrapped his head in the material in attempt to stop the bleeding.

 _"We need to get out of here."_ T'Hana cried to him. Another explosion went off in the distance. _"We are not going anywhere."_ Somal responded to her comment. The four additional guards raced over to Somal. _"Pick him up."_ He fired a command to his guards. _"And follow me."_ He shouted in superiority. He picked up K'las and grabbed T'Hana's hand. They began to move swiftly through the station. _"Where are we going?"_ T'Hana asked in distress. _" The shuttle pod."_

Within five minutes, the group had reached their desired destination. Somal opened the shuttle pod door. _"Get in."_ He ordered his family members. Somal then looked back to his security. _"Place him on the floor. Have Doctor T'Hana look over him."_ He shot back an order in the distance. Somal ran through a maze of cargo on the hanger. A young Vulmen held a fire extinguisher. _"You!"_ Somal exclaimed to the man. _"Are you a pilot?"_ He asked sternly. The young man shook his head. _"No. I am not legally a pilot, Sir. I am just a pilot student at the academy."_ Somal leaned his head: _"Can you fly a vessel?"_ The young man nodded the head. _"Then come with me."_

 _"Where are we going?"_ The young man asked with concern. _" We are going to the_ _Navis Sanctus._ " Somal hurried down the walkway and shouted back in response to his question. He made his way back to the shuttle pod. _"How is he doing?"_ Somal stated as he peeked his head through the open door. T'Hana leaned over the older man's supine body. She had removed the robe and was currently attending to the man's wound with a medical kit found in the back of the shuttle.

Somal climbed in the vessel. T'Hana spoke to him: _"He has lost a fair amount of blood."_ She cleaned the wound after applying pressure to the sensitive areas. _"He may have suffered brain damage from the collision with the debris."_ The younger guard turned to Somal. _"Where have you been?"_ He stated in anger; knowing Somal's death would result in his own demise. _" I have located a pilot to take us to the ship."_ Somal stated to the man.

The _'pilot'_ entered the vessel. He immediately went to the front and turned on the vessel. The engines fired up as another explosion rippled through the hanger. Somal glanced outside the window. He saw flames spreading throughout the building. People ran in terror. Somal looked back at the pilot and yelled in his direction: _"Go."_ The flame began to cover the runway and was approaching the barrels of hazardous chemicals.

 _" Yes, sir."_ The pilot obliged him. He began to turn on the thrusters as the barrels began to catch on fire. _"Any time now."_ Somal hissed to the front of shuttle pod. The pilot pushed a button and began to lift the vessel off the ground. _"Get us out of here."_ The younger guard yelled as he ran to the front of the vessel. He pushed pass the pilot and set the machine to hyperspace. The vessel took off in immense speed.

Somal grasped both his niece and his nephew under one arm and held down Tomek's body with the other. The vessel shook and everyone was thrown backwards. _"Dam."_ He cursed to himself. T'Hana sat back up. She appeared to be quite shaken. T'Sina screamed in discomfort, so T'Hana attempted to soothe her. Somal took a breath. The pilot attempted to hit the guard: _"Why on Neovulterra did you do that?"_

Somal put his nephew down and pushed himself between his guard and the pilot. _"Ensign,"_ he looked to the pilot, _"get back to your job."_ The pilot narrowed his eyes. _"I just told you. I am a student at the academy, not an employee."_ T'Hana raised an eyebrow: _"You mean you are not a certified pilot?"_ She inquired with great fear. _"Yes,"_ he exclaimed, _"and that is not the only problem, I don't known how to slow down this vessel in hyperspace mode."_

Somal closed his eyes. The guard rolled his eyes and pushed the pilot student out of the front seat. _"You know how to fly?"_ Somal questioned him with skepticism lurking in his voice. _"I know the basics."_ The man replied to him. He began by touching the GIS unit. _"According to this server, "_ he stated, _"we will approach the ship in 3 minutes and forty-seven seconds."_

 _"That gives us long enough to figure out how to deactivate the hyperspace unit."_ Another Vulmen guard responded to his statement. The Vulmen in the front of the vessel began to further look into the GIS system. Somal moved to sit in the front co-pilot seat: _"We need to contact the ship and let them know we are coming. If they don't open the hanger door we will have no chance of making the next flight to NX-156."_

The young student interrupted the conversation: _"We just escaped an exploding building, and you worried about going to 'Satana.'"_ Somal turned around and glared at the man. _"Will you be quiet and make yourself useful."_ He then turned back to the front. Somal began to look over the format of the vessel. He then reached for the transmissions. _"This is Commander Somal to Navis Sanctus **.** I am coming from our capital city's chief station. The building has recently suffered an attack." _He then turned back around and began to talk again. _"I am being accompanied by nine other people. One of which is critically injured. Please respond."_

There was a great silence. Everybody held their breath and listened in anticipation of a response. The transmissions system began to beep. A look of relief hit everyone's face. _" This is Captain Dumas of the Starship Navis Sanctus standing by."_ Somal took a deep breath: _"Captain, please open the hanger door. We will need to land shortly."_ Dumas took a breath: _"Yes, commander."_ Somal could hear the captain shouting orders in the distance.

 _"Captain."_ Somal asked his superior. _"Yes,"_ Dumas responded. _" We do not have a fully functioning pilot on board."_ There was a long silence. _"You will need to explain to us how to land this vessel in the hanger."_ Somal could again hear Dumas yelling in the distance. _"Commander Somal, I am Klaynar Mantalk,"_ a deep masculine voice stated. _"We met yesterday during the security meeting."_ Somal involuntarily shook his head. He realized he now was speaking to the older Klingon. _"I will be instructing you on how to successfully land the shuttle pod with … minimum damage."_

Another beeping noise went off. _" One minute and thirty-five seconds till impact."_ Klaynar inhaled immensely. _"Tell me, Commander. What setting is the shuttle pod currently functioning at?"_ Somal leaned forward: _"Hyperspace."_ He said in one word. He could have heard a pin drop had another Klingon not been laughing in the distance. Klaynar spoke again: _" Do you see the 'Disengage Button' located diagonal from the transmission receiver?"_ Somal responded 'yes' and noted that was the previous button his guard had pushed to engage hyperspace. _"You don't have much time,"_ the Klingon responded, _"You must disengage hyperspace and cut your engines at the same time. You cannot allow yourself to carelessly glide with your engines on after being cut off from the hyperspace. Such occurrence will result to your ultimate demise when you make contact with the ship. Cutting your engines and enacting your thrusters at the same time should counteract the force enacted from one another."_

Somal nodded his head. He then moved to control the engines and the thrusters. The guard leaned in forward toward the disengage button. _"Everyone hold on to something!"_ Somal shouted to the back as he put on his seat belt. Together, they cut the engine, enable the thrusters, and turned hyperspace off. There was a sense of calm, and then force propelled them forward. Somal's breath hitch as he made sharp contact with the restraining cord. His body then propelled backwards in his seat.

Somal watched in the distance as the hanger doors opened. He looked over to his fellow man to see him making an imitation of the sign of the cross. He felt like a pin trying to jump through the eye of a needle. Intensity and stress built in his system. He closed his eyes. Pain rippled through his system. He jolted up and down. His forehead made contact with the side window. Then the jumble stopped.

Somal reluctantly opened his eyes, and took a deep breath. By some miracle they had managed to land. Somal looked back into the cockpit. _"Is everyone well?"_ He shifted his head down and found his fifteen-month-old niece was screaming. His eyes widened in fear. T'Hana immediately sat her daughter's supine body on her legs. She began to assess her for any sign of injury. The mother then touched her daughter's forehead to evaluate her mental state. She signed in relief: _"She is unharmed."_

Somal took a deep breath and signed. He then shifted his head again. A cloud of smoke appeared to filling the outside. _"Get out!"_ Somal yelled as pushed open the door. The engine had clearly overheated and now was on the verge of exploding. He assisted his sister and her children out the vessel. The guards and the terrible pilot transported Tomek out of the shuttle pod. They moved to the other side of a large crate.

A small bang was released into the open. Somal moved his head from the side of the cargo. Shockingly, the shuttle pod still remained in one piece. However, fire appeared to be spreading throughout the hanger. A door from the outside then opened. Klingons and Vulmen with fire extinguishers came bursting through the door. They mitigated the smoke and the flame as they attempted to put out all the hazards.

Somal sighed and immediately stepped from out behind the container. He was about to speak when he was interrupted. " _Well hello again, Commander."_ He turned his body around to see the mysterious T'Pel raising an eyebrow and Michel Menstral smirking in amusement. He then motioned to the woman standing next to him. _"I trust that you have met my sister."_ All color drained from Somal's face.

…

 **To be continued ...**

 **If you like ... please review ...**


	3. Chapter 2 : Satana

**Readers Note: Hello everybody, I am back. I just finished my AP exams. My updates should now be more frequent. I hope you enjoy ...**

 **...**

The group entered the ship's sickbay. A combination of both nurses and medical technicians scuffled around the room. A blond haired Vulman appeared to be firing out a series of orders. Captain Dumas raised his eyebrow: _"Where is the doctor?"_ He asked the man. Kuvak was stitching up a large gash in fellow crew member's arm. _" He is I."_ He said bluntly, not even bothering to look up. _"Where is Doctor Synak?"_ The captain asked more specifically. _"He is dead."_ Kuvak responded with a hint of irritation, _"His body was found decapitated in the debris of the explosion."_

Dumas repressed a look of disgust. _"Where is Doctor Magus?"_ He inquired the whereabouts of the second doctor. Kuvak sighed as he finished his patient's third set of stiches: _"He is dead too. His body was recovered along with Synak's."_ Captain Dumas looked mortified: _"Where is Doctor T'Sarah?"_ Kuvak pointed to his patient. _"She is currently unconscious, Sir."_

The guards walked into the room, carrying Tomek's body on a long board. Kuvak turned around to witness the limpless man. _"Hannibal,"_ Kuvak shouted to the nurse practioner across the room. The older man turned away from a burn victim. _"Yes, Osu."_ Kuvak took a breath: _"Please take over."_ Hannibal signaled a technician to attend to his previous patient, and replaced the physician. Kuvak walked over to the group and stripped off his bloody gloves.

 _"_ _Somal,"_ he greeted his friend warmly. He then made an inquiry: _"What do we have here?"_ T'Hana spoke up: _"He has had blood loss, a concussion, and possible brain damage."_ Kuvak looked up at the young woman. _"You are physician, are you not?"_ T'Hana nodded her head. _"I will need a spare set of hands. We will need to perform a scan to analysize the extent of his damage."_

T'Hana nodded her head. _"Somal,"_ she motioned to her brother, and placed her daughter in his arms. K'las immediately gripped Somal's pant leg. For one second, Dumas look highly amused at his younger colleague. Somal made an inquiry to his superior: _"Captain, how many of the crew members are on board at the moment?"_ Dumas responded: _" 218 of the 250 elected crew members are currently on board. Of which, 207 are high functioning and can report to duty. 17 members have been reported dead or missing from the explosion. 15 members have made their whereabouts known. They safely made their way to shuttle pods during the bombing. We are currently awaiting their arrival."_

T'Hana turned around as she held a scanner. _"You cannot honestly think we are going to continue this mission after an event like this. Some of these people are in critical medical condition."_ Kuvak sighed to himself. He was internally conflicted. His ego wished to continue on as member of the _Navis Sanctus,_ but as a physician he had to advise caution instead.

Dumas looked to Somal. _"Please meet me in my ready room."_ The captain turned around and signaled Michel and T'Pel Menstral to follow. Once the captain was far enough away, Michel Menstral whispered provocatively into Somal's ear: _"I was not aware you had laid with a woman as of late. She must have been quite something to attract the likes of you."_ He scanned the children. _"Then again, while I can see a resemblance between you and the girl, the boy looks nothing like of you. She must have laid with several men."_ Somal pushed Michel away. He attempted to avoid resulting to physical harm for the sake of his niece and nephew.

Somal attempted to ignored his vulgar comment, not wanting to give Michel the satisfaction he wished. T'Pel looked emotionless as ever; then again, she appeared to be ignoring their conversation. After traveling down two escalators, and walking down three long hallways, they arrived at the captain's ready room. Captain Dumas, along with the two Klingons, Corporal Gladius and few unknown others were located in the room.

Gladius and the captain appeared to be engaging in a battle of the wits.

 _"We cannot embark on this mission."_ Gladius exclaimed in exasperation. _"We have no knowledge of whom is responsible for this bombing. It would be impulsive to attempt a voyage into deep space when our own world has been thrown into chaos."_ Captain Dumas rolled his eyes. _"Quit your hysterics, Gladius."_ Gladius looked as if he may protest. _"Administrator Sopek warned us something like this might occur. Someone has deliberately attempted to dissuade us from participating in travel to NX-156. This bombing may simply be a distraction to hide the truth."_

 _"Truth of what?"_ T'Pel inquired with a slightly elevated voice. Captain Dumas shrugged his shoulders: _"Corruption, no doubt."_ Corporal Gladius now rolled his own eyes: _"You do not honestly think that the 'Vulcans' are responsible for this? Do you?"_ Dumas shook his head: _"It does not matter what I believe. This is no longer a meeting to discuss financial transactions and territory claims between Andoria and Neovulterra. This is a formal investigation of NX-156."_

Somal raised an eyebrow. _"Surely you don't believe the Andorians are responsible for these atrocities."_ Dumas shook his head: _"Klingon intelligence reports that the Vulcan and the Andorians sighed a peace treaty two years ago. Have you ever considered the possibility the Andorians may be working on the Vulcan behalf?"_ Somal looked flabbergasted at the answer.

 _"Nevertheless, we must prevail."_ Dumas turned to Gladius: _"Send a report to each sector. We will be fully operational in half a hour."_ Gladius raised an eyebrow: _"Meaning?"_ Captain Dumas turned to the entire group: _" We will be departing for NX-156. This mission is still on."_

 _…_

Somal sat with a pad on his desk. His office was located exactly below bridge. Somal attempted to fill out the required contracts. He was sure the members of the _Navis Sanctus_ were violating at least five rules. Acting without notifying the council in an extreme incidence like this was one of them. He sighed to himself.

Somal observed his young niece and nephew. He had requested a blanket for them to play on. However, in the end, K'las was the only one who ended up utilizing the sheet. The young boy sat up and read his novel, _The Count of Monty Christo,_ on Somal's spare pad while his niece, T'Sina, slept on his couch in the fetal position. Somal was very grateful for this.

He heard a knock on his door and briefly looked up from his pad. _"Come in."_ He exclaimed to the knocker. The door flashed open and T'Pel quickly entered the small room. _"Turn on your screen."_ She motioned to computer next to his desk. _"Lower your voice."_ He motioned to the sleeping child. T'Pel choose to ignore his statement, but she did pay him the courtesy of fulfilling his request. She turned on the screen. Captain Dumas was speaking: _" I want to take a moment to honor the seventeen-crew members whose lives were taken from them this morning. As members of the crème de la crème, they would have made a valuable asset to this ship."_ There was a moment of silence. _" I have received orders from the High Command. We will be traveling to NX-156 to carry out a formal investigation. This is no longer a diplomatic mission. This is criminal investigation. I expect every crewmember on this ship will perform to the best of their ability, regardless of the atrocities the have recently occurred. We will not allow our fellow brethrens' death to be in vain."_

Dumas took a deep breath and then continued to speak: _"We will not allow the guilty to go unpunished. Whatever the goals of our previous mission, ignore them. We will use any force necessary to complete this investigation."_ There was a strong silence. _"Neovulterra will prevail. Let us not forget this moment in our history. Let us not remember this moment as time of sorrow and destruction, but as time of enlightenment. Today is the day we release the first warp nine vessel. Today is the day we enter a new chapter of our history as we conquer the stars."_ Somal could here clapping in the background. _"Vulmen for Vulmen. We will prevail, and no one shall stop us. Now let us go find these demons from 'Satana' who did this. Dumas out!"_

Somal raised an eyebrow in shock. _"The High Command approved this?"_ He looked to T'Pel. She shook her head. _"It would be appear so."_ The ship began to rock. Somal gripped onto his chair. The loud speakers came on: _"Pardon the interruption,"_ exclaimed a Vulman female, _"we are having some problems with the hall plating on floor 3, please be patient. You may experience some temporary vibrations. Thank you for your collaboration."_ Somal closed his eyes. K'las raised his eyebrows: _"Did grandma have the babies yet?"_ T'Pel raised an eyebrow. She had not realized K'las was there.

Somal chose to ignore him temporarily. _"I can come back later."_ Somal shook his head. _"No,"_ he stated, _"there is work to be done."_ He went to the other side of his desk and picked up a pad. _"We will need to reorganize all our contracts. Our investors will not be pleased."_ He handed her the pad. _" I have prepared a list of things that need to be addressed."_ T'Pel nodded her head. She then pulled a pad out of her robe: _"I have as well."_ Somal raised an eyebrow. He had no expected his colleague to be as equally prepared.

 _"Will you be accompanying the captain down to the colony?"_ T'Pel inquired of him. _" I am the second highest ranking officer on this ship."_ Somal muttered to her. _"I am obligated to participate in this investigation."_ There was a tad of disgust in his voice. T'Pel raised her eyebrow in amusement. _" I have been told you are a multiculturalist."_ She asked lightly. He raised his head: _" I am sure your … brother … has told you a great many things about me."_

She shrugged her shoulders: _"May I be so bold to make an inquiry?"_ Somal shifted his head: _"Depends how bold your inquiry is."_ He said with a tad of sarcasm. _"What do you see in foreign alliances?"_ Somal took a deep breath and was about to respond. K'las, however, interrupted them. _" Did you know the word 'Multiculturist' is a similar variation of the word multiculturalism? While multiculturalist is typically used to describe a person who supports a mixed combination of ethnicities working together in a society, multiculturalism refers to a doctrine or belief: the presence, or the support for presence, of several or distinct cultural groups in society."_

K'las exclaimed with pride. T'Pel looked at the boy rather oddly, and the turned to his uncle. _"I was not aware your son had studied intense social sciences … especially at such a young age."_ Somal rolled his eyes: _" He has not. He just repeats everything he hears."_ A smile reached K'las's face. The boy was so naïve he didn't realize he was being insulted. _"He is not my son. He is my sister's son."_ T'Pel nodded his head: _"That explains a lot. He does not resemble you."_

T'Pel spoke again: _" I did not mean that as insult. However, his physical features vary from yours immensely."_ She looked down at K'las. The young boy had dark blue eyes. He had straight black, slanted eyebrows, and pointed ears. _"Yes,"_ Somal stated bluntly, _"He is the spitting image of his father."_ T'Pel glanced in amusement. _"Indeed."_

Somal's COM went off. _"Dumas to Somal."_ Somal touched the ringer. _"Yes, Captain."_ Somal responded to his superior. _"We will be arriving to NX-156 shortly. Please be ready to meet us at the shuttle pod."_ Somal shook his head: _"Yes Sir. I will be down shortly."_ He turned to T'Pel. _"Is T'Pel there?"_ Dumas asked the young lawyer. _"Yes, captain."_ Dumas took a breath: _"I expect you to attend as well. Your mining expertise will be needed."_ T'Pel shook her head: _"Yes, captain."_ Dumas exhaled briefly: _"Good, Dumas out."_

 _"We will finish conversation later."_ Somal exclaimed to his colleague. He then walked out of his office. _"Sandra,"_ he stated to his middle-aged personal assistant, _"Please inform my sister I am leaving for the surface. She will need to come and collect her children. Please watch them for the time being."_ The older women nodded her head, _"Yes, Sir."_ Somal then walked back into his office and retrieved his suitcase and his outer robes.

He looked down to his nephew. _"I expect you to be on your best behavior while I am gone."_ The boy looked at him oddly: _"When have I not been on my best behavior?"_ Somal narrowed his eyes. _"You know what I mean. Also, please from making random inappropriate comments to Sandra."_ The boy shifted his head in confusion. He then turned to T'Pel: _"Are you ready?"_ She nodded her head.

 _"Uncle,"_ K'las inquired, _"May I ask you question."_ Somal stated as he tied his outer robes and nodded his head. _"What is sex?"_ Somal's eyebrows shot clear into hairline. _"I beg your pardon."_ Somal asked with a slightly elevated voice. T'Pel looked highly amused and humored her colleague: _"Were these the highly inappropriate statements you were referring to?"_ K'las looked completely innocent: _"I need further clarification for this vocabulary word. What does sex mean."_ He raised the pad to his uncle.

Somal ripped the pad away from his and analyzed the sentence. He let out a breath in relief. _"It means gender."_ K'las nodded his head and took his pad back. He then looked his uncle. He noticed he was turning bright green. _"Are you well, Uncle Somal?"_ Somal shook his head: _"Yes, I am well. You have just reminded me of a … rather sensitive conversation you will need to have in few years."_ K'las looked interested now. _"Will you give it to me? This conversation."_ Somal had a blank stare.

Somal shook his head: _"Hopefully not. I would like to think the man whom created you would be there. That is his obligation."_ Somal turned back to the door to see his elder secretary giving him a look of disgust. He had not been aware she had been listening to their conversation. _"Well …"_ Somal stated rather awkwardly. _"We should best be off."_ He turned to his secretary: _"Good day, Sandra."_ He then nodded to her and walked out of the room.

T'Pel followed him after moment. When they entered the escalators, she spoke: _"You must be such an influential fatherly figure."_ He couldn't tell if she was being sincere or sarcastic. _"I know," …_ Somal, replied, _"I really need to get one of my own…"_ T'Pel raised an eyebrow. She looked somewhat perplexed by his comment: _"Really?"_ He had not seemed like the type to settle. He was clearly devoted to his career. Rumors had been circulating for years: Somal rarely expressed interest in the opposite sex. _"Of course. Do you now any good potential wives? I have been to busy to look as of late."_

She briefly stared at him. _"Do you have any preferences?"_ Somal shifted his shoulders: _"Preferably a woman who is educated, high emotionally and intellectual intelligence, who's loyal, and who can cook."_ She looked highly amused. _"You wish for a wife who is highly educated and who can perform domestic house duties?"_ Somal shook his head: _"No, I have servants for that. However, I have never liked random people preparing food."_ _Somal bit his lip and thought back to an unpleasant memory: an unloyal servant had attempted to poisson his food in his youth._

T'Pel clinched her lips. _"You must have had a very interesting childhood."_ Somal cocked his head: _"Define interesting."_

 _…_

The group met at a group of shuttle pods. The Klingon, Klaynar, was sitting half way out of a small pod. _"General,"_ Somal exclaimed to the man. The Klingon looked his way: _"Commander Somal."_ _He acknowledged._ Somal shook his head: _"Thanks to you, I am doing quite well. We suffered without accident on the shuttle."_ The older Klingon shook his head: _"That is good to hear."_

There were twenty other Klingons surrounding them. Captain Dumas and Corporal Gladius stood socializing with one another. Lieutenant Kuvak and Commander T'Lin were approaching. Somal cut across to Kuvak. _"How is Tomek doing?"_ Kuvak gave a slight smile. _"He will be fine. Your sister is currently taking care him."_ He then wrapped his arm around Somal's shoulders. He leaned into his ear: _"So, what is this about you having kids? Have you really changed that much sinse I have last saw you?"_

T'Lin rolled her eyes. _"They are not his kids. They are his niece and nephew."_ Somal looked somewhat irritated. _"Who told you that?"_ T'Pel spoke up: _"I believe my brother Michel made a slight mistake. I apologize for his minor mishap."_ Kuvak narrowed his eyes: _"Your Michel Menstral's sister?"_ He said in disbelief. _" I know,"_ Somal stated, _"the unknown fact perplexed me as well."_

Captain Dumas walked over to the group. _"We are leaving."_ Somal shook his head: _"Do we have the specific coordinates for the Andorian vessel on NX-156?"_ Captain Dumas nodded his head: _"Yes, Corporal Gladius is currently plugging in the information."_ He then walked over, and went into one of the pods. The group followed him.

Somal was surprised to find several Vulmen security guards as he entered the vessel. After his colleagues entered the vessel, Captain Dumas shut the vehicle. He then opened a medium sized bag and began to hand out the following weapons. _"These are phase pistols. Phase one is stun. Phase two is kill. Please know the difference."_

Somal accepted the weapon with some tension. No doubt the Klingon's were having the time of their lives. Corporal Gladius spoke aloud from the front of the vessel. _"Please lock your seat belts, ladies and gentlemen. We will now be departing."_ He ignited the engines. The shuttle pod's engine shook. Somal involuntarily cringed.

Gladius then hailed the bridge from the vessel. _"Major Menstral, we are free for take off."_ A queasy feeling filled Somal's stomach. The thought of Major Menstral commanding the bridge while he was gone caused him a small amount of internal emotional distress. _"Yes, Corporal."_ Michel responded, _"You are free to exit the ship. The hanger doors will open momentarily."_

Gladius began to prod at some of the switches at the top of the shuttle. _"Thank you, Sir. We are now exiting the_ ** _Navis Sanctus_** ** _._** _"_ A rumble zipped through the shuttle pod. Somal gripped his seat. He had nearly been killed in a vessel like this approximately one hour and forty-three minutes ago. He then felt a light hand touch his thigh. He looked over and saw T'Lin smiling at him. _"Are you ok, Somally?"_ She then moved to hold his hand. Somal felt himself turning hot. He excused her behavior as childish, for she was nearly four years younger than him.

Her inappropriate, yet comforting touch, was shielded from view of his peers. They both sat in the back of the vessel. However, her statement caught the attention of both Kuvak and T'Pel. They both turned around to meet Somal's stare. _"Somally?"_ Kuvak said with some humor. _"Is this the woman who you have the child with? Or is that T'Pel?"_ Corporal Gladius looked backwards as he was driving. _"I thought those were his sister's kids?"_

 _"They are!"_ T'Pel and T'Lin exclaimed unison. _"Kuvak, this is not amusing!"_ Somal raised his voice. Kuvak smirked to himself: _"Ok. Fine. I will leave you alone, Somal. I would hate to miss out on this little love fest."_ Captain Dumas turned around and sternly interrupted the young peoples' taunts. _"Pay attention to the opening, Corporal. Doctor Kuvak, please shut up. Sub-Commander Somal and Commander T'Lin, fraternize on your own time, and by the way, I don't want to know about it."_

T'Lin looked like she was about to protest. However, Somal's glare cut off her future remark. There was then ultimate silence. The vessel left the ground and charged through the hanger. The shuttle pod had managed to exit the ship in less than 43 seconds. The ship was immediately surrounded by immense darkness. The only light was projected from inside the vessel and from stars far far away.

Somal could see light being projected from Neovulterra from many millions of miles away. He had never been more proud in his life to be Vulman. He then turned to T'Lin and whispered into her ear. _"There is our home."_ She smiled to him. He gave her a light smile back. _"Our parents would be proud if they were here."_ T'Lin gave him a smirk. _"Our parents would result to physical violence if they were both here."_ Somal shook his head. _"Quite possibly. However, I believe they would remain civil in our presence."_ She shrugged her shoulders. _"Perhaps."_

Corporal Gladius spoke aloud. _"We will be arriving at NX-156 in four minutes. We should be at the colony in an additional five."_ Somal leaned forward. After several minutes the gruesome sight of NX-156 came into sight. Somal immediately understood why the asteroid was referred to as _'Satana.'_ Even from far away, he could view immense circles of lava and flame.

Gladius directed the shuttle down into the asteroid rubble. He flew to the reported coordinates. Captain Dumas looked straight ahead. There was no colony. Instead, he was met with the image of a huge Andorian warship. The ship appeared to be propped up on a rock mass. Lava was surrounding one side of the vessel. A ginormous volcano was located on the other side of the vessel.

Somal raised his eyebrow. _"Why have they left themselves in such a compromised position."_ T'Lin shook her head. _"According to my scanner, there is no other vessel in the area."_ Dumas and Somal looked at her perplexed. _"The ship's core system would appear to be shut off."_ T'Lin finished her analysis. The ship's hanger door also appeared to be open.

Gladius spoke up to his peers. _"I am taking us in."_ Somal narrowed his eyes. _"Are you sure that is a reasonably idea, Corporal?"_ Gladius shrugged his shoulders. _"For a landing sight, the Andorian hanger is a reasonable as we are going to get."_ Kuvak shook his head. _"You got that right."_ Gladius descended down into the ship. He successfully managed to insert the shuttle into hanger.

The inside landing strip was dark as night. The shuttle immediately made contact with a group of stacked objects. Gladius stopped the vessel. _"That cannot be good."_ He murmured to himself. _"What the hell was that?"_ Kuvak yelled out loud. _"We would have appeared to have made physical contact with a rather large object."_ T'Pel exclaimed to the group. _"Really? I never would have guessed! "_ Kuvak bluntly responded.

Somal looked up. _"We need to get out of here."_ He then moved to the floor of the vessel. He opened up the tiles and retrieved some body suits. Small oxygen tanks were attached. Somal pick up the suits and distributed them to his peers. For the first time in ages, the Klingon Klaynar spoke aloud: _"How long do we have?"_ Somal looked at the pack. _"We have four hours to locate the core system? If we are unable to do so, we must return to the ship two hours early. We cannot risk running out of oxygen."_

The group took fifteen minutes to put on their required clothing. Somal grabbed the emergency pack from the back of the shuttle. _"Are we all ready to exit?"_ Dumas asked his subordinates. Somal took a moment to put on his helmet and turn on his oxygen supply. He then nodded in response. Klaynar moved to open the door. A deep chill ran through Somal's spine. This surprised him immensely for a smoking environment was currently surrounding the outside of the ship.

Two other shuttle pods arrived in the hanger. Their landing appeared to be more successful. Somal moved to the front of the vessel. He raised his flashlight and stun gun. T'Pel followed him. _"We would have appeared to have made contact with several large crates."_ He exclaimed to her as she raised her scanner. T'Pel narrowed her eyes and then spoke: _"There would appear to be high frequencies of registered Glagorian in this crate."_ Somal shifted his head. Glagorian was a deadly and expensive drug. They had apprehended the drug many times. The _'Basileus'_ was thought to be behind the immense trade of the drug.

 _"This is no mining vessel. This is clearly a war vessel from the structure."_ T'Pel exclaimed with some tension. Somal shook his head. _"T'Pel, this is no war vessel. This is the drug transporting ship we have been looking for."_ T'Pel raised an eyebrow. _"The 'Basileus' is Andorian?"_ Somal looked skeptical. The High Command had accused these _'Vulcan'_ for the corruption on their world. A fact he found immensely hard to believe.

 _"Scan the other crates."_ Somal ordered to the other Klingons. They obliged him. _"There are large amounts of Trellium D and Glagorian in these crates."_ Somal frowned at this statement. Trellium D was deadly to Vulmen. _"Where is the rest of the crew?"_ Dumas exclaimed to the group. _"Surely our arrival would have triggered an alarm."_ Somal shook his head. _"I find it hard to believe anyone could survive this terrain."_ Kuvak shook his head: _"Why is it so cold in here? Shouldn't it be scolding hot?"_ T'Lin spoke up: _"Andorians live in cold terrians. They have most likely insulated the inside of their vessel to maintain their desired temperature."_

Captain Dumas spoke up: _"We need to locate the bridge."_ T'Lin shook her head. _"The bridge will be useless without stimulating core system."_ Somal nodded his head. _"We do not have much time. I strongly advise we split up."_ Captain Dumas looked reluctant to do so. However, he agreed with Somal's logic. _"Yes,"_ the commanding officer spoke, _"Please have the Klingon's escort you. The moment you have manage to stimulate the core system, report immediately back to the shuttle pod. We will apprehend the required information from the bridge. Corporal Gladius and Klaynar, please escort Commander T'Lin to the core system. Sub-Commander Somal, Commander T'Pel, and Doctor Kuvak please follow me to the bridge!"_ He ordered his fellow Vulman guards to escort him to his desired destination.

The group reached the main hanger door. Unfortunately, none of the systems were online so the entrance way was practically useless. Dumas motioned his fellow Klingons to open the door. The aliens set up their phase pistols to exhibit multiple rays. After burning a massive line down the center, the Klingons moved to pry open the door with their bare hands. Somal attempted to advance forward. However, the same aggressive Klingon whom he had interacted with earlier temporarily stopped him. The warrior beat his own chest and then hit Somal on the back of the helmet.

Somal turned around to fury, but remained silent. He would not let the cocky Klingon upset him. Klaynar rolled his eyes at the young Klingon. Dumas walked through the door and his remaining subordinates followed. The inside of the war vessel was even colder. Somal let out another involuntary shiver. However, the shaking came not from the cold, but from the feeling of death that swept over him.

Somal scanned the hallways. Something was not right. The crew walked down the long, dark vessel. Kuvak raised his own flashlight. He attempted to view the ship from a better light. Pipelines ran along the top of the ceiling. He then looked at the white painted walls. A blue liquid lay sprayed on its apparatus. T'Pel raised her scanner. Her eyes slightly narrowed. _"What is the matter?"_ Kuvak whispered under his breath. _"It would appear to be blood."_ T'Pel exclaimed loud enough so only him and Somal could hear.

Dumas moved to T'Pel's side. _"Is that…"_ He stumbled off. T'Pel nodded her head. Dumas turned around and looked back to the open door. _"T'Lin…"_ He exclaimed out loud. _**BANG.**_ Somal jumped to the side just in time for a group of pipes to land next to him. He fell on his back, and looked up to the ceiling. The face of an Andorian woman lay concealed under a breathing helmet above. Somal's eyes widened at the sight above.

Kuvak ran to his friend. _"Somal, are you ok?"_ He and T'Pel attempted to help him up. Somal resisted their assistance and pointed to new hole in the ceiling. _"There!"_ The group looked up. _"Yes Somal, we see, this ship is clearly falling apart."_ Somal shook his head. He looked up and was surprised to find there was no one above him. _"There was an Andorian woman above."_ T'Pel raised her eyebrow with skepticism. _"That is not possible. There is currently no oxygen circulation in this section of the ship."_ Somal shook his head: _" She was wearing a breathing mask."_ Kuvak leaned down and held Somal's head still. He then shined the light in his eyes and watched as Somal's pupils expanded. _"I think the combined pressure along with your recent near collision may be causing you to hallucinate."_

Somal shook his head. _"I know what I saw."_ He protested. The sound of a few creeks above filled his ears. _"There is someone else here."_ He exclaimed with carefully concealed fear. Dumas shook his head: _"It is probably just the ship."_

The group continued to walk down the hallway. They found a latter at the end. Kuvak stopped and raised his phase pistol. He motioned to Somal and T'Pel: _"Ladies first."_

Somal rolled his eyes. Dumas put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. The guards proceeded up the latter. Somal glanced upward and noted that the latter appeared to be roughly 150 feet tall. _"All is clear."_ A voice yelled from the top. The Captain nodded his head and then started to climb. Somal and Kuvak began to follow him.

Somal tripped on the latter nearly fifty feet up. He grasped on the bars for his life. Kuvak raised an eyebrow. _"Try not to trip, Somal."_ Somal took a breath before he continued up. _"I am sorry."_ Kuvak followed him. _"Did you not pay attention during military training?"_ Somal chose to ignore his statement; he knew there would be a following insult if he responded. _"Gentlemen, please pay attention."_ T'Pel exclaimed from the bottom of the latter, not wanting to be struck down.

The group reached the top. The guards appeared to be forcefully prying the next door open. Somal wandered over to the next room. He raised his scanner. Somal knew it was fruitless, but he began to search for signs of life. _Vulmen_ and Klingon bio signs immediately came up on the scanner. However, something else came to his attention. The results shocked him immensely. There were two additional bio signs on his scanner. He studied scanner. One life sign appeared to have nearly an identical Vulmen composition; however, there were slight variations in the genetic makeup. The other point belonged to a humanoid like creature.

He froze in his place. Somal raised an eyebrow before reloading his results. According to the data, this alien was only ten feet away from him. He looked around and saw no one. Then it hit him. Somal looked up toward the ceiling just in time to see a small blue creature.

She pounced down on him. Somal and the woman rolled over each other on the floor. _"You!"_ She hissed in disgust. She attempted to disarm him. However, Somal caught her hand. _"You Vulcan."_ She spat in his face. Her antennas twitched with anger. Somal flipped her over in self-defense. He held her one arm above her head. She unfortunately kneed him in the groin. Somal fell backward in pain. He attempted to suppress the unpleasant feelings as he ducked her next swing.

 _"I do not wish to harm you."_ He exclaimed breathlessly. _"I was sent here to discuss diplomatic relations between our two peoples."_ The woman shook her head: _"You lie. You Vulcans always lie. I saw what you did to my crew!"_ Somal raised an eyebrow. _"I think you have made a gross mistake. I am not …"_ She swung again. Somal deflected her punch. He then felt a sharp pain in his right shoulder. He looked over to see a needle.

Somal fell onto his knees. His head felt dizzy. Darkness began to consume his view. _"Who are you?"_ He said with deep pants. She then smirked at him. Instead of immediately responding, she took her good time to watch him struggle. Somal stood up and moved over to her in a drunken like manor. _"Who are you?"_ He hissed again under his breath. She punched him in the helmet. Everything went blank.

…

Dumas raised his communicator. _"Dumas to T'Lin. Have you reached the engineering department yet?"_ T'Lin responded. There appeared to be some terror in her voice. _"Yes, I already have..."_ Dumas narrowed his eyebrows: _"Status report?"_ T'Lin took a deep breath. _"The systems should be on momentarily…"_ Dumas shifted his head. _"Is there a problem?"_

The door opened to the bridge. The guards then proceeded to enter, however, they stopped momentarily in their tracks. Captain Dumas proceeded to follow. He pushed pass the guards. The sight before him filled him with shock. Dumas's shock then turned horror. T'Pel pushed passed the guards: _"Captain, I am unable to locate Somal…"_ She then stopped talking. Dead Andorian bodies loitered on the floor. T'Lin spoke through the communicator. _"Yes, I mean kind of. It is just … we are currently being held by gunpoint by an Andorian regime … no problem. "_

Duma was stunned speechless. An unfamiliar voice filled the communicator. _" This is Commander Shran of the Imperial Guard. I am ordering you to hold down your fire. We know where you are located. Do not attempt to leave the premises or we will shoot you on sight."_ Captain Dumas let out a deep breath. _"This is Captain Dumas of the_ ** _on the Navis Sanctus_** _. I am a member of the Vulmen High Command. I was sent here to perform an investigation. Your ship's location violates our territory treaty with the Klingons."_ There was a dead silence on the other end of the communicator.

Shran spoke once more. _" Yes, and your mass murder of our people violates the treaty we made on_ ** _Weyton_** _two years ago Vulcan."_ Dumas raised an eyebrow at the statement. He realized the Andorian had misheard his statement. _"I think you have miscomprehended my previous remark. We are not …"_ Shran interrupted his statement. _"We know who you are! We are coming to get you."_

Kuvak shifted his head. Dumas then closed his communicator. _"We need to get back to the Navis Sanctus."_ T'Pel raised an eyebrow. _"How do you intend to do that? According to my scanner, the Andorians have blocked off our entrance to the hanger."_ Kuvak motioned to the wall. He then removed a section. _"I did some research about these Andorians before we came here. The Klingons have an entire database dedicated them."_

 _"The bridge on every Andorian vessel has a secluded passage way to the major main sections."_ Dumas raised an eyebrow. _"This may just work."_

 **Readers Note: I hope I was able to clarify to "conception" of the Vulmen species. I know many of you found this matter to be highly perplexing. Stay tone for updates. Next chapter expect the following: Andorians, Vulcan Ambassadors, and Vulmen prisoners. Feel free to review ;-).**


	4. Chapter 4: Angry Andorians

**_Hey, I am back. Sorry this update took so long. Thank you to everyone whom has reviewed this fic. Your constructive advice is noted. I hope to utilize it in my writings in the future!_**

 _Ambassador Soval openned his eyes with a sudden jolt. His soothing medition had been interrupted by a series of intense, alien emotions. Foreign feelings of pain and naseau entered his carefully controlled mental system. His breathing hitched as the throbbing in his head intensified._

 _Thunder roared from outside the San Francisco compound. Large packets of rain pattered against the roof. Soval involutarily shuttered from the gush of cold air that engulfed him. He immediately opened his eyes and raised an eyebrow at the sight before him: his candle flame was gone. Soval considered relighting the device. However, he instead chose to leave the candle untouched._

 _Soval closed his eyes, and regained focus on his internal unanticipated distress. Something light was pressed to the back of his mind. He reluctantly plucked at the mysterious intangible object. Feelings of confusion and fear fled through his system. He involuntarily shivered again. His previous suspicions were confirmed: these emotions were not his own._

 _Ambassador Soval tugged more roughly at the bond this time. In a way, the alien connection reminded him of the bond had previously shared with his deceased wife T'Ria. However, the composition of this particular bond varied. An essense of himself lurked in the corners of this 'bond.' This matter perplexed him even further._

 _ **DING.**_ _Soval opened his eyes, and shifted his head to the corner of the room. His communicator vibrated on the dressor. Reluctantly, Soval rose to his feet. He surpressed the new wave of pain that ripped through his system. Soval picked up the communicator on his dressor and answered the early call._ _"_ _Ambassador, Minister Kuvak wishes to speak to you."_ _His assistant informed him._ _Soval raised an eyebrow. He had not had received a communication from the minister since the Syranite bombing._

 _"_ _I see, please forward his call through."_ _Soval exclaimed to his assistant._ _"_ _Yes, Osu."_ _His subordinate replied to him. Soval moved to his computer. The Minister's image appeared momentarily on the screen._ _"_ _Soval,"_ _he greeted the ambassador._ _"_ _Minister,"_ _Soval returned his greeting formally. He noted the man possessed a look of uneasiness._

 _"_ _I have been informed that you are well acquainted with a certain Commander Shran."_ _The Minster replied gently. Soval cocked his eyebrow._ _"_ _Yes, … and may I be so bold to inquire what contraversial matters the Commander has been involved in this time that requires the High Command's attention?"_

 _"_ _Soval,"_ _Kuvak responded a little more casually,_ _"_ _the commander contacted the High Command this morning. Shran claims he has taken five 'Vulcans' hostage."_ _Soval narrowed his eyes. Shran was considered quite arrogant, even for an Andorrian, and his logic often escaped him. However, he was not completely irrational. Soval shifted his head in response._ _"_ _What was the events that surrounded this ?"_

 _Kuvak took a deep breath._ _"_ _He claims that several Andorians were peacefully engaging in a mining project on the outer north western sidelines of the Archaic System. This system is located outside of the Klingon Empire. He claims a group of Vulcans attacked his vessel, and murdered his crew."_ _Soval raised an eyebrow at the obsurdity of his statement. However, his breath temporarily hitched. Painful memories came to the surface of his mind. The death of his beloved wife, rumor had it, had occurred in this hidden sector of deep space. For a moment, he was filled with resentment toward the High Command. Even thirty-one years later, the High Command still refused to answer why the_ _ **T'Primm**_ _was in that quadrant of space._ _"_ _I was under the impression their were no deployed vessels of the High Command in that sector."_ _Soval exclaimed, even though he possed certain amount of reluctance to speak._

 _Kuvak nodded his head._ _"_ _There are none, which makes this bizarre case all the more confounding."_ _Somal shifted his head._ _"_ _Do you suspect these Vulcans, whom have been captured, are members of the V'tosh'ka'tur?"_ _Kuvak shook his head._ _"_ _I would too deduce that these prisoners are members of this radical sect. However, the Andorians have reported these Vulcans possess … advance technology. The V'tosh'ka'tur have not been known for having great financial assets. Besides that, … the schematics the Andorian commander described were … uncomparible to any technological innovation that can be found in the current database."_

 _Soval raised an eyebrow:_ _"_ _Meaning?"_ _Kuvak took a deep breath:_ _"_ _Commander Shran reported data logs from the attack. A vessel with never before seen stealth and weapon technology staged an attack on the Andorian Cargo vessel."_ _Soval shook his head:_ _"_ _And the Andorians believe our species is responsible for this attack ?"_ _Kuvak looked down at his folded hands, and then glanced back up at the screen._ _"_ _The vessel was not completely demolished. However, the crew was … exterminiated."_ _Soval contained his discomfort while Kuvak continued to speak._ _"_ _Commander Shran was sent by the Imperial Guard to retrieve the internal video contents from the vessel. The ship had apparently been out of contact with its coordinators for sometime now. When he arrived, he claims a group of 'Vulcans' were patroling the vessel and the Andorian crew had been slaughtered to death."_ _Soval grimaced at this statement:_ _"_ _Does he have evidence that these people are in fact the killers ?"_ _Kuvak nodded his head:_ _"_ _The tapes provided portrayed a certain amount of evidence …"_ _Kuvak responded Soval._

 _Soval raised an eyebrow at the minister's statement:_ _"_ _You do not believe him?"_ _Kuvak shook his head._ _"_ _A group of blurred out images were retrieved from the device. However, the visual results were highly inconclusive."_ _Kuvak bit his lip. Soval shifted his head, feeling that the man was withholding something. Kuvak then spoke._ _"_ _We requested that the Imperial Guard send us the genetic profiles of the Vulcan prisoners as evidence of their capture."_ _Soval narrowed his gaze:_ _"_ _And?"_ _Kuvak looked highly reluctant to diluge the next part of the imformation._ _"_ _The profiles were sent to the scientific directory to be analysized. The genetic composition was unbeknown to anything we have ever seen."_

 _Soval was somewhat confused by the statement._ _"_ _Are you implying these prisoners are not of 'Vulcan' descent?"_ _Kuvak shifted his head:_ _"_ _In a manner of speaking, they are."_ _Soval had a blank stare. Kuvak spoke:_ _"_ _The Vulcan science directory determined the Vulcans being held hostage are not of 'full' Vulcan heritage."_

 _Soval raised his eyebrows:_ _"_ _Are you implying that these hostages are all hybrids?"_ _There was some exaggeration in his voice. Kuvak nodded his head:_ _"_ _There is more…"_ _Soval raised an eyebrow._ _"_ _The genetic samples taken from the prisoners comprised of a mixture of both Vulcan and Human_ _Deoxyribonucleic acid_ _."_ _Soval starred at the minister with utter perplexity. Soval leaned in forward now:_ _"_ _These 'Vulcans' hybrids are half human?"_ _He hissed aloud._ _Kuvak nodded head._

 _Soval found this particular information hard to fathom. There had always been rumors of Vulcans consorting with Humans in less than appropriate regards. The Vulcan men who worked at the Terran Embassies were often not bonded. In order to discourage fraternization, immediate dismissal was threatened to any Vulcan caught engaging in sexual misconduct. However, such standards were rarely enforced. As long at the High Command remained oblivious to these happenings, the Vulcans of the Terran consulates were free to do as they pleased._

 _"_ _How old are these hybrid prisoners?"_ _Soval inquired to the minister. Kuvak responded:_ _"_ _Based off genetic testing, their ages vary from 27 to 69 years of age."_ _Soval narrowed his eyes:_ _"_ _How is that possible?"_ _Soval responded with some exasperation. The conception of a Vulcan-Human hybrid was hard to fathom for Vulcans and Humans had never been able to reproduce. The conception of five interspecies members was even further perplexing. Soval raised his head:_ _"_ _Are they all kin?"_ _Kuvak shook his head._ _"_ _No, none of these 'Vulmen' are related by birth."_

 _"_ _Vulmen?"_ _Soval exclaimed with some disbelief._ _"_ _That is what they call themselves. Shran's female officer was very thorough in noting that detail."_ _Kuvak confirmed Soval's statement._ _"_ _Ambassador, Commander Shran has specifically requested you, with the help of Captain Archer, to retrieve these Vulmen. He wants you and Captain Archer to represent these Vulmen in the name of Vulcan and Earth. Shran wishes them to be trialed for crimes against Andoria."_

 _Minister Kuvak took a deep breath and then sighed:_ _"_ _When you travel to the Archaic System, you will apprehend these Vulmen. Commander Shran has been very thorough with his motives. He has conveyed he has little interest in starting a potential interstellar war. He also wishes for a fair trial."_ _Soval shook his head in agreement._ _"_ _You will then bring these Vulmen back to Vulcan. I do not wish for these Vulmen to remain in the Andorian's hands."_

 _Soval raised an eyebrow._ _"_ _I thought Shran wished for these prisoners to be trialed for crimes against Andoria?"_ _Kuvak nodded his head._ _"_ _They will be. However, if the High Command has their way, the trial will be held on Vulcan soil. These Vulmen will only be taken back to Andoria as a last resort."_

It's been a long road

Gettin from there to here  
It's been a long time  
But my time is finally here

And I will see my dreams come alive at night  
I will touch the sky  
And they're not gonna hold me down no more  
No they're not gonna change my mind

(Chorus)  
'Cause I've got faith of the heart  
I'm going where my heart will take me  
I've got faith to believe  
I can do anything  
I've got strength of the soul  
No one's going to bend nor break me  
I can reach any star  
I've got faith  
I've got faith  
Faith of the heart

…

 _ **8 Hours Prior …**_

 _T'Lin stood straight up with her hands above her head. Her six Klingon mercenaries had refused to go down without a fight. The Klingons were highly skilled warriors. Unfortunately, against forty Andorian soldiers who held them hostage, their strength was nothing._

 _The fight had been long and tedious. Corporal Gladius and T'Lin had taken temporary refuge behind the engine. The other three Vulmen guards had attempted to fight. However, after realizing defeat was inevitable, they surrendered to the Andorians. The Klingons refused to be taken hostage for this dishonored their way of life. In response, the Andorians were forced to execute them._

 _Commander Shran put down T'Lin's communicator after the intense scuffle. Captain Dumas had just hung up. Thirteen of his men now lay dead. Four were critically wounded. Blood covered the floor, and the smell of death lurked throughout the room. Five Vulmen stood with their hands above their heads. Shran motioned to one of his fellow officers._ _"_ _Bring me those Vulcans on the Bridge. Remember, I want them alive."_ _He hissed to him._

 _The younger Andorian nodded at his superior. Half of the Andorians left the room._ _"_ _Which one of you is the commanding officer?"_ _Shran shouted to the group. He looked over to the four men. Instead, T'Lin stepped forward._ _"_ _I am."_ _Commander Shran's antennas twitched in shock._

 _…_

 _The Vulmen officers crawled through the emergency exit for their life. An Andorian regime was currently after them. Kuvak and T'Pel led the group. T'Pel utilized her scanner._ _"_ _According to these schematics, the quickest way to the hanger is through this exit."_ _She motioned to him. Kuvak took the scanner from her._ _"_ _Do you have any idea how many stories we are going to have to climb down?"_ _T'Pel narrowed her eyes:_ _"_ _I am sorry, do you have a better idea?"_

 _Captain Dumas hissed from behind them._ _"_ _Keep moving. Every moment you two spend fighting is one more moment these Andorians gain on us."_ _Kuvak looked over to T'Pel. They continued to move._ _"_ _Why didn't you tell me there were Andorians on this vessel."_ _T"Pel hissed at him under her breath:_ _"_ _They did not show up on my scanners before."_ _Kuvak narrowed his eyes as he continued to climb._ _"_ _How did they not show up on your scanner?"_ _T'Pel scrunched her shoulders._ _"_ _I scanned for bio signs when we were in the hanger. Taking additional scans afterwards seemed repetitive and highly unnecessary."_

 _Kuvak raised an eyebrow. The group made it to the tip of the passageway. The section looked like a downward slide. The bottom was very dark. T'Pel raised her scanner._ _"_ _The exit to the hanger is 200 feet that way. It will be located at the bottom of this passage way."_ _Kuvak shook his head, and then moved a head of T'Pel. She gave him a funny look. Kuvak scoffed at her:_ _"_ _What? Do you want to go first?"_ _T"Pel looked away from him. She peered down the deep dark passageway, and then looked back at her colleague._ _"_ _Your free to go."_

 _Kuvak slid down to the bottom. He immediately hit rock bottom. Five feet from him was the emergency exit._ _"_ _It's safe."_ _He called to his peers. He went to open the door. Below him were three Andorian soldiers. They were guarding their two vessels._ _"_ _Crap."_ _He murmured to himself. T'Pel slid up next to him. She looked down and saw the current inconvenience. To add insult to injury, the hanger doors had been closed._

 _"_ _How are we going to fix this?"_ _Kuvak exclaimed to T'Pel. T'Pel scanned the area. The controls to the hanger were located on the opposite side of the launch bay._ _"_ _We will need to come up with a distraction."_ _T'Pel looked behind her. In total, there were fourteen of them: twelve Vulmen and two Klingons._ _"_ _Set all your phasers to stun."_ _The guards nodded from behind her. T'Pel and Kuvak quietly climbed out onto the walkway. The officers positioned themselves up from above._

 _The Vulmen guards quietly scooted themselves down the walkway. They put their hands on their triggers. T'Pel nodded her head. The guards immediately opened fire. The Andorian froze temporarily. However, they quickly recovered from their shock. They took positions behind the closest protecting objects. Quickly, they returned rapid fire._

 _Kuvak fired his phase pistol at one Andorian. However, his shot only hit the barrier. Dumas moved forward to the end of the ramp. There was exactly twenty feet between the walkway and the bottom floor. One of guards attempted to advance in the same direction as his superior. Unfortunately, he collapsed after being shot._

 _T'Pel moved over to the wounded man. She served as a source of protection. They were not in a good position. While the Vulmen occupied the high ground, their spacial movement was quite limited. The Andorians possessed ample amounts of space. Klaynar and the younger Klingon exited from the opening in the wall._

 _"_ _What in the name of Satana took you so long?"_ _Kuvak yelled from a far. Instead of answering, the younger Klingon jumped off the walkway onto the floor. He skillfully landed on the floor. He held a blaster in one hand, and a sword in the other. He then charged toward the Andorians on the floor. Dumas took this as a sign to advance, and headed down the latter. The guards skillfully followed him._

 _Within minutes, the Vulmen and the Klingons had managed to stun the three Andorians. The process had been long and tedious. In some regard, like the Klingons, the Andorians had insisted upon a fight to the death. The concept of surrendering was also foreign to their species. They fought incredibly violently. After much work, the_ _Navis Sanctus_ _crew had managed to restrain, and render unconscious their fellow Andorians._

 _T'Pel moved to open the hanger door. Kuvak retrieved the harmed guard from the top of the walkway. The captain and the Vulmen guards moved the unconscious Andorian prisoners in to their shuttle. Klaynar immediately moved to the front of the vessel. He began to set the controls while T'Pel traveled across the hanger to the control panel. She began to scan the system set before her. To her dismay, the controls were all written in Andorian._

 _Kuvak yelled from across the room:_ _"_ _Let's go. We do not have much time."_ _T'Pel glanced backwards._ _"_ _These controls are incomprehensible."_ _Kuvak ran to her side. He scanned the panels and groaned in dismay._ _"_ _Terrific. How are we going to get these hanger doors open now?"_ _T'Pel gave Kuvak a disagreeable look._ _"_ _I have an idea."_ _Kuvak raised an eyebrow._ _"_ _Really?"_ _He added with of hint of sarcasm._ _"_ _Why do I have the feeling I am not going to like it?"_

 _T'Pel looked to the shuttle pod._ _"_ _The shuttle possesses fire arms … does it not?"_ _Kuvak nodded his head. She then looked to the large metal door. Kuvak narrowed his eyes._ _"_ _You have got to be kidding me!"_

 _…_

 _An Andorian subordinate observed his scanner. The Vulcans had apparently accessed a concealed passage way and managed to find a way to the hanger. He was about to inform his superior when the entire ship quivered. Shran looked up from his interrogation:_ _"_ _What the hell was that?"_

 _"_ _Sir,"_ _the Andorian spoke aloud,_ _"_ _the Vulcans have reached the hanger."_ _Shran's eyes narrowed darkly. The young Andorian man looked down at his scanner again. Shran pulled out his own communicator:_ _"_ _Cadet,"_ _he yelled to his subordinate,_ _"_ _Prepare to retreat to the vessel. We have a shuttle pod we need to intercept."_

 _…_

 _Klaynar sought to fly the shuttle pod at its greatest speed capacity. Captain Dumas attempted to contact his home vessel._ _"_ _This is Dumas to Navis Sanctus. Please respond."_ _The captain squinted his ears. There was too much friction in this area of space. Something was clearly wrong._

 _Klaynar had plugged in the coordinates for the Navis Sanctus. It was illogical to assume that the location for the vessel had changed. However, to the crewmembers disbelief, the ship did not appear to be on the scanners. The shuttle pod shook fiercely. Kuvak flipped out of his seat. He mentally chided himself for not putting on his seat belt._

 _The Andorian vessel had fired from behind them. The internal computer spoke from inside:_ _"_ _Shields are decreasing to 90 percent accuracy."_ _The younger Klingon hissed in response. Kuvak shook his head._ _"_ _I hope our ship is close!"_

 _The younger Klingon headed to the back of the vessel. He began to load the backfire arm weapon for the shuttle pod. He aimed directly at the Andorian vessel and began to fire._ _"_ _Thirty seconds until destination is met."_ _The internal computer exclaimed aloud. To the crew's relief, the Navis Sanctus began to appear. A large explosion could be heard from the distance. Kuvak grabbed the Klingon's shirt._ _"_ _Hey, are people may be on that ship."_ _He yelled at him._

 _Thankfully, the hanger door was open. The Vulmen proceeded to land inside the massive ship complex. Captain Dumas, Kuvak, and T'Pel proceeded to the bridge. The group immediately barged through the door. Michel Menstral turned around. He was currently occupying the commanding officer seat. He observed their untidy state:_ _"_ _I trust your mission was … unsuccessful."_

 _"_ _Let's go."_ _Dumas ordered to Michel. Michel narrowed his eyes:_ _"_ _Go where?"_ _Dumas shook his head._ _"_ _We need to follow that Andorian vessel. They have captured members of our crew."_ _Michel shifted his head._ _"_ _Sir, the only Andorian vessel on our scanners is disabled and is located on the asteroid."_ _Dumas looked outside the huge window. There was not an Andorian vessel in sight._

 _…_

 _"_ _This does not make any sense."_ _T'Pel exclaimed to her colleagues._ _"_ _Your frustrations are shared sister."_ _Michel noted to his kin. She chose to glare at him. Dumas interrupted their banter:_ _"_ _Why did our scanners not pick up the fully functioning Andorian vessel?"_ _T'Pel shrugged her shoulders. She was a mining engineer and a lawyer, not a science officer. Kuvak stepped in:_ _"_ _Is there any possibility the frequencies given off by the Andorian vessel were disrupted by the immense spacial friction caused by the anomalies in this quadrant."_ _Michel shook his head._ _"_ _Our ship's equipment has been engineered to deal with such anomalies."_ _Kuvak responded back:_ _"_ _Yes, to deal with the anomalies in our quadrant of space. However, I am sure the spacial friction composition of the anomalies in this quadrant vary immensely from that of our own."_

 _Michel shrugged his shoulders:_ _"_ _What became of the other Andorian crew?"_ _Dumas stared at him blankly._ _"_ _We have taken three Andorian prisoners. They are currently being held alive in the brink."_ _Michel shifted his head:_ _"_ _And the others?"_ _Dumas sighed to himself:_ _"_ _They escaped."_ _He then went on to speak:_ _"_ _I need to inform the High Command of this development. We will need to station more troops on NX-156 in case the Andorains attempt to return."_

 _T'Pel interrupted the side conversation:_ _"_ _I find the concept of anything disrupting our sensors to be unsatisfactory. They fact that our devices did not pick up on the Andorian vessel is a huge oversight! This species possess Warp six drive technology at best, and their ships are remedial."_

 _Dumas looked over to her._ _"_ _Is their something you are attempting to apply?"_ _T'Pel nodded her head:_ _"_ _Sopek told us there would be people who would try to stop our mission."_ _Michel shifted his head:_ _"_ _Are you implying someone is directly attempting to sabotage this mission?"_ _T'Pel nodded her head:_ _"_ _That is exactly what I am implying."_ _She looked around, and then leaned forward. It was as if she didn't want anyone else to hear her._

 _"_ _What if Sopek is right? What is there is a Vulcan who is attempting to sabotage our mission?"_ _She whispered to the group._ _"_ _Who, the Son of Vulcan."_ _Kuvak exclaimed with an almost cynical voice. Dumas gave him a funny look. T'Pel shook her head._ _"_ _No. However, I believe he may some how be connected to this. However, whoever this man is, I do not think he is responsible for these atrocities. This is the work of someone else. Someone very powerful within the High Command."_

 _Michel narrowed his eyes:_ _"_ _Who?"_ _T'Pel shook her head._ _"_ _I do not know."_ _She then motioned to her brother._ _"_ _Double check all of the ships internal functions. Someone may have tampered with our scanners."_ _Michel nodded his head._

 _Kuvak interrupted:_ _"_ _If someone did in fact tamper with the Ships scanners, that would explain why the Navis Sanctus did not pick up on the Andorian vessel. However, that still does not solve our current problem."_ _Michel raised an eyebrow in confusion. Kuvak continued:_ _"_ _Six of our crew members have been captured. The Administrator's son is including. He will not be pleased."_ _He looked to Captain Dumas. The man appeared to have paled._

 _Michel Menstral smirked at him:_ _"_ _We do not need to serve all our problems at once."_ _T'Pel glared at her brother. She did not like what he was implying._ _"_ _We need to track the Andorian vessel before it is to late."_ _She stated firmly. Dumas nodded his head._ _"_ _We will need to notify the High Command of this development first. We will be leaving the Archaic System."_

…

 ** _Later that day …_**

 _He was consumed by total darkness. Then, he reluctantly opened his eyes. Pain and nausea flared through his system. He attempted to suppress any unsatisfactory emotions. A bright blinding light blocked his view of the surrounding area. Somal narrowed his eyes. After several seconds of intense focus, a large shape filled his visual censors._

 _His female captor stood right before him._ _"_ _You,"_ _Somal hissed in distress. He attempted to sit up, however, his movements were cut short by his chains. Somal looked down to his confined limbs._ _"_ _Release me!"_ _He ordered to the Andorian woman. The woman scanned him momentarily, and then let out a cold laugh._ _"_ _Unless you want to join your five other Vulcan brethren in a cell, you should probably shut up."_

 _Somal narrowed his eyes again._ _"_ _I am not Vulcan."_ _He hissed. She rolled her eyes._ _"_ _So I have been told."_ _She walked around his bed, and leaned over the other side._ _"_ _You look pretty Vulcan to me."_ _She reached out and lazily traced the rim of his ear. Somal involuntarily shivered. A smile crossed the Andorian's lips._ _"_ _No one ever told me your ears were sensitive."_ _She teased him. Somal raised an eyebrow, and then smirked:_ _"_ _Well, now you know. Please refrain from touching them."_

 _There was some firmness in his voice._ _"_ _You don't mean that."_ _She humored him as she moved in to stroke his slanted eyebrow. Somal scanned her physical features. She had light blue skin, short white hair, and a rather petite body. Somal was filled with embarrassment. If his peers ever discovered this tiny Andorian woman had defeated in combat, he would never hear the end of their taunts._

 _"_ _Where am I?"_ _Somal calmly asked the woman._ _"_ _Your on one of the finest Imperial Guard star ships."_ _Somal looked around the ship: the vessel looked remedial at best. He appeared to be in what was the equivalent of an underdeveloped sick bay._

 _"_ _How did you manage to defy our censor logs?"_ _He inquired of her. She looked at him funny, for she was clearly perplexed. He sought to clarify his statement:_ _"_ _Your ship went undetected by both our chief vessel, and our various micro-units."_ _Somal pressed forward. She laughed again, and leaned forward._ _"_ _Believe it or not, your are not the only species with fancy toys."_ _She hit the bottom of his chin gently. Somal got the immediate indication she was attracted to him. This confounded him. She had almost tried to kill him hours earlier. Somal looked around the room again in pure embarrassment. He was always socially awkward when it came to interacting with the opposite gender in regards to these_

 _Somal was about to respond with a witty comment when the sick bay doors opened. Somal looked to the opening. A short male Andorian was located at the entrance. Somal immediately thought back to his childhood studies. The small Andorian man reminded him of the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte._ _"_ _Naru,"_ _he yelled to his subordinate. She turned his head:_ _"_ _Yes, Commander Shran."_ _The woman bowed her head._ _"_ _I need you to …"_ _Shran stopped his sentence when he saw his company._

 _"_ _Who the hell are you?"_ _The Andorian hissed aloud._ _"_ _I am Sub-Commander Somal_ _of Neovulterra."_ _Somal exclaimed incredibly formally._ _"_ _May I inquire to whom am I speaking with?"_ _The Andorian narrowed his eyes and then turned to his colleague._ _"_ _You didn't tell me you had another Vulcan here in sickbay."_ _Shran firmly stated._

 _She shrugged her soldiers:_ _"_ _Oh well, I thought we could give the other five to the High Command, and maybe keep this one around for fun."_ _Naru exclaimed with some humor._ _"_ _This isn't a joke, Naru. What I am suppose tell the Vulcans? I am sorry: I miss counted heads and only reported five Vulcans when there were exactly six. Soval is going to think I have remedial math skills."_

 _Somal narrowed his eyes._ _"_ _Soval?"_ _He exclaimed aloud before he could think. Somal immediately thought back to his mother's statement:_ _ **You must find Soval.**_ _His head turned back to the Andorians._ _"_ _Who is this Soval?"_ _Shran and Naru looked at him rather oddly. Naru then turned her head, and looked at Shran._ _"_ _He is not from Vulcan. There is no way he would know him."_ _She spoke to Shran._

 _Shran narrowed his eyes and studied Somal's physical form. Something very odd struck Shran. This Somal, in some regard, shared a similar resemblance the present Vulcan ambassador Soval. They both had very similar facial structures. Both had the same dark brown eyes, and well-built frame. The only main difference was that Somal possessed slightly curly dark black hair. Then again, Shran thought, all Vulcans looked alike._

 _Shran pulled up a chair. He sat directly next to Somal._ _"_ _I am going to ask you the same questions I asked your crew mates. Why did you attack our post?"_ _Shran asked as calmly as he possibly could. Somal stared blankly at the man._ _"_ _And I will give you the same answer my colleagues clearly gave you: we did no such thing."_ _Shran narrowed his eyes._ _"_ _I have informed your Vulcan High Council of what you have done."_

 _Somal rolled his eyes. Shran looked taken back. Such a facial feature was non-existence among Vulcans._ _"_ _I am not Vulcan. I have never been to the world of Vulcan. I have absolutely no ties to Vulcan."_ _Somal responded with some irritation._ _"_ _So I have been told by your crew mates."_ _Shran then leaned forward._ _"_ _So where are you from Somal?"_ _Somal was silent for a moment and then proceeded to speak._ _"_ _I am from a world located within the Archaic System. Its name is Neovulterra."_

 _Shran narrowed his eyes._ _"_ _I have never heard of this world before."_ _Somal shook his head._ _"_ _Few have. We have never been involved in your international affairs prior till now. Any collaboration with the outside market is founded purely upon trading. Our trading is limited to that of few species. Besides …"_ _Somal turned his head:_ _"_ _Few species have ever ventured out our way. You saw the outer boundaries of our system. While the rewards one can potentially reap by coming our way are great, the dangers that lurk in the shadows often outweigh the benefits."_

 _Shran nodded his head._ _"_ _Tell me … Sub commander … "_ _There was some cynicism in Shran's voice._ _"_ _If you are not Vulcan … then what are you?"_ _Somal readjusted his position._ _"_ _I am Vulmen."_ _Shran let out a chuckle._ _"_ _What is the difference? You look Vulcan."_ _Somal shifted his head to the side:_ _"_ _I am of both Terran and Vulcan descent. Vulcans do not possess any Terran heritage."_

 _Shran's eyes widened at that statement:_ _"_ _Are you saying you're half pink-skin?"_ _Somal had absolutely no idea what the colloquial phrase, pink skin, meant. He chose to disregard the Andorian's statement and further clarify his previous response._ _"_ _I am half Earthling, if that is what you mean."_ _Shran looked upward to the ceiling. This day just kept getting better and better._

 _Shran took a breath and sighed to himself. Vulcans or Vulmens. They both shared similar ancestry so the genetic difference was irrevellent._ _"_ _Now, I am going to ask you the same question again. Why did you attack our vessel and murder our crew."_ _Somal shook his head:_ _"_ _Are Andorians always this repetitive? I just informed you a few minutes prior my crew had absolutely nothing to do with the murders on your vessel."_

 _Shran scoffed to himself._ _"_ _If you didn't kill the crew, who did?"_ _Somal shrugged his shoulders in irritation:_ _"_ _I don't know. They were dead when we arrived."_ _Shran countered his response:_ _"_ _What were you doing there?"_ _Somal narrowed his eyes._ _"_ _Your cargo ship was operating in outside our system. Your vessel had attempted to penetrate the outer boundaries of our system. I was sent to negotiate a territorial agreement."_

 _Shran smirked at him:_ _"_ _Why do you think we would agree to such a negotiation."_ _Somal took a deep breath._ _"_ _It seemed like a better alternative than forced eviction."_ _He stated with sarcasm. There was a split moment Shran thought he was talking to Ambassador Soval. Well … a more younger, more arrogant version of Soval._

 _A long silence occurred between the two men._ _"_ _Where is my crew?"_ _Somal whispered out loud._ _"_ _Where is my crew?"_ _He repeated himself more firmly._ _"_ _Some of your 'Vulmen' crew members are located in the brink."_ _Somal looked upward to Shran._ _"_ _Where are we going?"_ _Shran smirked to himself._ _"_ _We are going to meet some Vulcan and Human colleagues. You can explain yourself to them."_

 _Shran spoke again._ _"_ _The Imperial Guard will not allow this course of action to go unpunished. We will be sending members of our fleet to investigate this … situation."_ _Shran said in warning._ _"_ _And if this supposed … Neovulterra … does exist, we will make you pay!"_

 _Somal sat there for a moment. He had remained completely emotionless up until the time being. Out of nowhere, Somal bursted out laughing._ _"_ _You_ _ **Nirak**_ _."_ _He hissed at him. Shran stood up, and punched Somal in the face._

 _..._

 ** _So ? What did you think? Nirak means fool in Vulcan. If you need further confirmation, please recheck season four of Enterprise. Next time, expect a perplexed Enterprise crew, a really mad Vulcan Command, and some revolting childhood memories._**


	5. Chapter 5: Vexed Vulcans and Vulmen

**Hey Guys! I am back. Thanks Paradise of the Mind, Einzel, and decisiveorigin for reviewing! This means a lot to me! Enjoy!**

 **…**

Captain Archer watched his computer screen with some immediate distress. The Vulcan High Command had recently notified Star Fleet Command of a rather unfortunate misgiving. Ambassador Soval had once again, requested his presence in a dire situation. The Imperial Guard had apparently taken a group of rouge Vulcans hostage during a previous violent encounter. The Vulcan High Command, like usual, was currently refraining from providing further details.

Such a matter was clearly spontaneous. The High Command was very lucky. _Enterprise_ had been operating within the Sol system when the call was placed. The ship was acquiring a few new crewmembers to replace those whom had perished.

The Vulcan vessel the _T'Ling_ would be arriving any moment now. Captain Archer moved out of his seat, and reluctantly made his way to the air vent. T'Pol and Trip had been in his ready room thirty minutes prior. They had discussed the issue. Trip seemed rather flabbergasted; apparently he thought the Vulcans and Andorians would agree more now that there was an alliance put in place. T'Pol simply raised an eyebrow at the matter.

Captain Archer reached the air vent. T'Pol was already waiting. _"You ready for this?"_ He said with some upbeat humor. T'Pol shook her head and replied: _" In regards to the Andorian species, I do not believe one can ever be too prepared."_ The air vent opened. Captain Archer turned his head around in shock. Ambassador Soval was not alone. In fact, he had brought along a few acquaintances.

 _"_ _Captain Archer,"_ Soval greeted him gravely _. "T'Pol,"_ he nodded his head to her as if she were a child. Soval then turned around: _" I am sure you are well acquainted with Doctor Oratt and Doctor Strom."_ T'Pol narrowed her eyes. Captain Archer bit his lip. He hoped T'Pol had stayed out of trouble as of late. The Captain also couldn't help but feel that this situation was slightly ironic. Doctor Yuris had recently accepted a commission on _Enterprise._ T'Pol had recommended him for a position in Star Fleet after he had been dismissed by the High Command. Eager to expand upon ethnic diversity, Star Fleet Command had complied. Doctor Yuris, now one of the newest recruits, served along Doctor Phlox in Sickbay.

 _"_ _Hello Captain Archer."_ Strom greeted calmly. Oratt didn't even bother to make to make any form of communication. _"Doctors."_ He bowed his head in respect. T'Pol nodded to Strom, however, she refused to acknowledge Oratt's company. Captain Archer once again turned to Soval: _"Ambassador, I was told you had something you wanted to discuss with me."_ Soval nodded his head.

Captain Archer led the group to his briefing room. Everyone took a seat. For a brief moment, the Captain wondered why two Vulcan physicians were attending a prisoner's exchange. _"I trust Shran has informed you of the recent development. I must ask. How long have you known, Captain?"_ Soval inquired with an accusing tone. Captain Archer starred blankly at him. He shifted his head and leaned forward. _"Know what, Ambassador?"_

Soval gaged his perplexity, and shifted in his seat. _"When were your last communications exchanged with the commander?"_ Captain Archer shook his head: _"Four or five months ago …"_ He murmured to the ambassador. _"Which one?"_ Soval interjected. _"What?"_ Captain Archer responded. _"Which is it? Four or Five months ago."_ Soval pressed forward.

T'Pol resisted betraying any facial movements. _"Our last communication with Shran was approximately four months, two weeks, three days, five hours and thirty-seven minutes. The conversation pertained to simple words of 'thanks' after Administrator V'Las was removed from power, and an interstellar war with Andoria was avoided."_ Ambassador Soval narrowed his eyes at her statement: _"And you have received no further communication from him … to date?"_ T'Pol starred at him blankly: _"Yes."_ Soval looked suspicious. He had a hard time believing Shran had only contacted the Vulcan High Command.

 _"_ _Then you have no knowledge of the current development."_ Soval starred deeply into Captain Archer's eyes. _"I am only aware of what you have told Star Fleet Command. I was under the impression you were planning to brief me on what was going on when you arrived."_ The Captain spoke honestly. _"Besides,"_ he spoke on, _"Doesn't it seem a tad inappropriate for an Andorian to involve a human in a clearly Vulcan matter_? _I am not sure what happened, but I am sure Shran is trying to protect your privacy."_

Soval gazed at the captain. _"The commander has requested that you be involved."_ He took a breath. _"As you are well aware, the Imperial Guard has recently taken five 'Vulcans' hostage."_ He added extra emphasis on the word _Vulcans._ Captain Archer nodded his head. T'Pol raised an eyebrow: _"What were the matters surrounding this occurrence?"_ Soval grimaced at her statement: _" An Andorian Cargo ship was found rendered … immobile, and the crew was found … murdered."_

Soval let his statement linger in the air before he continued: _" The Imperial Guard was sent to investigate a missing vessel. This particular vessel was out of contact for a significant amount of time. When the Andorians arrived, a group of 'Vulcans' was monitoring their shuttle."_ There was a silence. _"Please continue, Ambassador."_ Doctor Strom spoke aloud. For some reason, Captain Archer thought he heard some pleasure in his voice. _"These Vulcans were taken prisoner. Shran is planning to take them back to Andoria. The Imperial Guards wants them to trialed for crimes against Andoria."_

 _"_ _I see,"_ Captain Archer replied, _"And you want me to assist how?"_ Soval narrowed his eyes: _"I did not request your assistance, Captain. Commander Shran did."_ There was another silence. _"For the sake of diplomatic matters between our worlds, Shran has requested in the name of both Vulcan and Earth that we represent,"_ some sarcasm lined his words, _"these Vulmen."_ T'Pol leaned forward: _"I beg your pardon?"_

Soval smirked to himself: _"After the capture of these 'Vulcan', the High Command requested that Commander Shran forward the genetic profiles of the prisoners. The Scientific Directory keeps the DNA samples of every citizen born on Vulcan. We were attempting to locate a genetic match."_ Soval took a breath. _" The Directory was unable to identify the prisoners."_ T'Pol narrowed her eyes: _"Were these prisoners V'tosh'ka'tur?"_ It was a logical deduction. Vulcans who retained their citizenship off world always registered their children. Vulcans who did not register their children typically did not want to be found. They belonged to cults such as the _V'tosh'ka'tur._

Soval shook his head: _"That was the High Command's original deduction. The prisoners were found in an … irregular quadrant of space known as the Archaic System."_ Captain Archer looked perplexed. _"Archaic System?"_ He looked to his first officer. _"It is a system located directly off the periphery of the Klingon Empire. Few Vulcans have ever ventured out that far. It is considered to be one of the most dangerous systems located in the Vulcan database. How vast or what resources the system possesses remains unknown."  
_ Soval nodded his head: _"The Vulcans were not V'tosh'ka'tur."_ That shocked T'Pol and Captain Archer. Soval then motioned to Doctor Oratt. _"After the Scientific Directory failed to identify the owners of the cells, they noticed something rather … unexpected."_

Captain Archer narrowed his eyes at the Doctor: _"Go on."_ Doctor Oratt pursed his lips: _" The samples registered as Vulcan at first glance. However, after intricate DNA analysis, we began to notice the genetic compositions possessed several abnormalities. The directory assumed the first sample's genomes possessed a number of mutations. However, after observing a similar pattern in the other samples, the theory was eliminated."_ Doctor Oratt took a deep breath. He seemed reluctant to speak for a moment.

Doctor Strom continued the conversation. _"We began to cross the DNA samples with other known species. After much comparison, we discovered the owners of the samples possessed human nucleotides."_ Captain Archer watched in silence. He remembered when the mysterious vessel and the man from the future had appeared. The human man had possessed Vulcan nucleotides.

Captain Archer straightened himself. He got up and began to walk around the table. _"Are you implying these Vulcans possess a human relative?"_ Soval raised an eyebrow. Humans were always more accepting than their Vulcan counterparts of the unknown. Soval shook his head: _"We are implying more than that. The samples possess an equal amount of contributed Vulcan and Human genetic material. Now, while the Vulcan DNA appears to be more dominant …"_

 _"_ _Wait what?"_ Captain Archer spun around. He then regained his composure. _"Can you repeat yourself, Sir?"_ Ambassador Soval raises an eyebrow. He had a feeling Captain Archer had correctly comprehended the information. _"The samples have appeared to have came from a group of mixed race beings."_ Captain Archer stood there rather blankly. _"Has Star Fleet been informed of this?"_ Ambassador Soval shook his head. _"No."_

T'Pol narrowed her eyes: _"If I may be so bold to inquire, how did a group of mixed race Vulcan-Human hybrids end up in the Archaic System?"_ Strom answered her with blunt honesty: _"We have no idea."_ Captain Archer sat back down. _"That is hardly reassuring."_ He retorted with sarcasm. Doctor Oratt narrowed his eyes: _"Are you implying we are behind this?"_ The captain did not answer at first.

T'Pol spoke aloud: _"How old are these prisoners?"_ Oratt replied: _"The prisoners age varies from 27 to 69 years."_ Captain Archer narrowed his eyes. _"How is that possible? I thought the Vulcan Science Directory said it was impossible for Vulcans and Humans to reproduce?"_ Captain Archer pushed. He knew a hybrid was possible. Lorain had proved this fact.

The three Vulcans gave a hint of embarrassment. However, they quickly suppressed their unwanted emotions. They clearly were not going to talk. _"Why are you here?"_ Captain Archer spoke aloud. Ambassador Soval replied: _"Shran has requested you represent these Vulmen in the name of Earth at trial. However, the High Command was hoping you could convince Shran to let these Vulmen be taken back to Vulcan."_

Captain Archer narrowed his eyes: _"And what may that achieve?"_ Soval folded his hands. _"The High Command wishes for this matter to remain as … discreet as possible. It will be easier to control the results of trial if it is held on Vulcan."_ Captain Archer crossed his arms: _"So your telling me you want me to convince Shran to bring back five 'Vulmen'_ _back to Vulcan_. _Then hold a rigged trial, and not tell anyone about this afterwards? I am sorry, but did I comprehend that correctly?"_

Soval starred at him with a raised eyebrow. _"Essentially, yes."_ Captain Archer narrowed his eyes _. "And what are you going to do with these Vulcan-Human hybrids afterwards? Hide them in the closet? If these beings are truly half human, then the people of Earth have just as much right to know of this as Vulcan does."_ Soval grimaced at the Captain, however, he pressed on. _"Why hasn't Star Fleet been informed of this?"_

Soval took a breath: _"As you are aware, tensions on Earth have tightened as of late. The actions of Terra Prime have increased xenophobia exponentially. If we still wish to hold the interspecies alliance conference in two weeks, we would do best for the sake of both our worlds to keep this matter quiet. I don't think either of our people would take two kindly to this issue."_

Jonathan Archer leaned in forward: _"That still doesn't answer where these Vulmen came from. "_ Soval leaned forward: _"Yes, and that is a very important question that needs answering."_ Captain Archer took a deep breath. _"Where is this rondo point Shran requested?"_ Soval pulled a pad out of his robes. He pushed the device across the table. Captain Archer briefly glanced at the information: _"You have got to be kidding me."_

…

Somal awoke to a loud clamoring against the wall. An Andorian male guard stood outside his cell with a plate of nourishment. _"Eat Vulcan."_ He sneered as he slid the tray of food through a compartment. Somal starred at the food and then looked up at the guard. _"Thank you."_ The Andorian look at him as if he had grown a second ahead.

Somal was left in silence. He observed his unfamiliar surroundings. Apparently the Andorians had transferred him to the brink after he had been knocked out cold. He lightly wiped his forehead, and was surprised to find his body drenched in sweat. The brink was absolutely freezing, so his excess bodily fluids were perplexing.

Soval attempted to sit up. However, pain reared through his system. He was positive his father forged his medical documents when he applied to the _Navis Sanctus._ Years of therapy could not completely correct the damage done to his lower back. He had been rendered temporarily paralyzed after a traumatic military accident.

Somal thought back to his adolescence. At sixteen, he along with every other Vulmen his age had been drafted to serve in the military. Military service was a three-year mandatory requirement for all Vulmen. For one semester, he had been shipped to the remote tropical jungles of Neovulterra for training. There, he had met his friend Kuvak. Kuvak was studying tropical disease medicine at the time.

Three weeks prior to completing his rotation, a terrible explosion occurred. A Vulmen had attempted to protest the mandatory military requirement by placing a man made bomb in their training course. Somal could remember the accident as if it were yesterday. One of their observation towers was located within the concealed treetops.

Somal and Kuvak had been on guard at the time. They detected the bomb thirty seconds before it went off. Out of fear for their life, the two boys had jumped off the observance tower into the river below. Kuvak was rendered unconscious immediately after hitting the water. Somal was more alert than ever. It was the immense pain that kept him alive. The two boys had managed float to the side of the river. When the authorities found them next day, they were covered in cuts and bruises. Kuvak was fine. However, Somal had lost his ability to move from the waist down.

Somal was kept confined to his bed for the next three months. He could not walk without assistance for another six months. The experience had been humiliating. Thankfully, he had been honorably discharged from the military, and was not expected to return.

Somal heard a loud clamoring on the glass. He looked up again and saw it was the Andorian called Naru. _"You ok, Vulmen?"_ Somal sat up for he was determined not to show any weakness. _"I am fine. Thank you for inquiring."_ He was attempting to be as civilized as possible. _"You really know your manners don't you?"_ Somal raised eyebrow, as if asking her to explain.

 _"_ _Vulcans don't thank people for anything, especially Andorians."_ Somal starred blankly at her, not knowing what to say. _"That is rather rude."_ Her antennas twitched: _"I can think of a few stronger words than that."_ She spat. There was a long silence. _"You don't seem particularly frightened of us."_ Somal looked up from the floor. _"I have encountered scarier things than you in my lifetime."_ He said rather bluntly.

 _"_ _Really? Like what?"_ She pulled up a chair. _"What could possibly be more scarier than the Imperial Guard?"_ Somal smirked at her. _"Child, if I told you, you might think rather ill of me."_ She laughed out loud. _"Who are you calling a child? You look only slightly older than me."_ Somal shifted his body. He then sighed: _" I have seen my grandparents murdered before my own eyes. I have witnessed my sister abused by a man who calls himself her husband. I have also watched my life flash before me … multiple times. I do not fear you because fear of death is illogical, especially when one can relish in every additional moment life has to offer."_

 _"_ _Why are you here?"_ He spoke after a long silence. _" Curiosity."_ She purred at him. Somal raised an eyebrow at her provocative response. Her behavior was unfit for an officer. _"Shran wants answers."_ She replied. Somal starred rather blankly at her: _" I have already informed you all that I know."_ He said rather suddenly as he shifted his body.

Naru shook her head. _"We did some research in the Vulcan database. There is no record of there ever being a mixed race Vulcan-Human species, much less an individual Vulcan-Human hybrid."_ Somal shifted his head: _"I am not a liar, if that is what your are implying. I am assuming the Imperial Guard has resources. You can easily crosscheck any one of my crewmembers DNA with the Vulcan or Human genome system."_

Naru rolled her eyes: _"We already double checked your fellow crewmembers genetic profiles Vulman. Do you really think Commander Shran would have been so accommodating to you if weren't half pink skin? "_ She pursed her lips at him and placed her hands on her hips. Somal, however, wasn't listening to her second statement. He was thinking back to his time on the Andorian cargo ship on NX-156. Before Naru had attacked him, he had read what appeared to be a Vulcan bio sign on his scanner. The bio sign was very similar to that of the Vulmen's signature. However, there was a significant difference in the genetic composition to be noticed.

 _"_ _Whose genetic profiles exactly did you run?"_ Somal narrowed his eyes at the woman. _" Your subordinates … I think their names were Gladius and T'Lin … and your three guards too …"_ Somal nodded his head. _"I am sorry."_ She spoke to him. Somal looked at her deeply. _"For what?"_ She hummed to herself: _"I forgot to send your profile to the Vulcans. I want you to know ahead of time, if the Vulcans don't have enough accommodations, we won't be keeping you."_ Somal rolled his eyes: _"How charming."_ He murmured to himself.

He became to resume his previous thoughts. There was a Vulcan on that ship. If Somal didn't figure out who this man or woman was, they would not only sabotage their mission, but also kill this _Son of Vulcan._ He never doubted T'Lin or his personal guards were Vulmen. Somal had known them his whole life. Gladius was hard to suspect. He possessed mixed race features: curled human eyebrows, red hair, green eyes, and pointed ears. However, this did not excuse the other Vulmen who had accompanied him to the cargo ship.

Somal examined his options. There was no possible way Kuvak was the Vulcan. Kuvak had always possessed blond hair and blue eyes. Dumas was always a possibility. Somal had seen holograms taken by the Carpathians of the original Vulcans. Dumas had shinny dark brown hair, slanted eyebrows, pointed ears, and dark brown eyes. He resembled the typical Vulcan poster boy. The only thing that was off was his emotional demeanor. There were written accounts of his ancestors. The Vulcans sought to completely purge their emotions. Dumas was often rolled by his own passion.

Somal did not personally know any of the _Navis Sanctus_ security. There was always the possibility one of the other guards were the Vulcan. Other than that, T'Pel was the last possibility. Somal thought more clearly. T'Pel was incredibly logical. He had never seen her exhibit any form of emotion. She had incredibly Vulcan physical features. T'Pel was a reasonable suspect. The only thing that did not match up was her age. The Vulcan ship had landed nearly thirty years ago. T'Pel did not look much older. Plus, if T'Pel was Vulcan, so was her brother Michel.

Somal heard another large clamoring. _"Vulman, I am speaking to you."_ Somal shifted back to reality. _"Yes."_ He spoke calmly. _"I said: where is your world? "_ She hissed at him. Somal starred blankly at her. He did not feel comfortable deluging such information. Commander Shran intended to send an Andorian regime back to NX-156. Somal did not know what the Andorians would do to his fellow Vulmen people if they discovered his world's coordinates.

Naru moved forward and opened the brink's door. Somal raised an eyebrow. He could barely move for he was chained to the floor. Naru moved down to his level, and picked up a piece of fruit off his plate. She then reached forward, pushed down his jaw, and placed the fruit on his tongue. Somal narrowed his eyes. Her act could be interpreted as … sensual. However, he feared there was some deeper meaning behind it.

 _"_ _Have you ever consumed passion fruit before?"_ She asked rather gently. Somal gave her a spectacle look. _"No,"_ he took a breath, and swallowed. Naru picked up another piece of fruit, and placed it on his tongue. _"On my world, it is customary that when a women sees what she wants she takes it."_ Somal leaned back. He did not like how she was invading his personal space. _"I see …"_ Somal awkwardly responded to her.

 _"_ _However, you are not going to make me do that."_ She leaned in again. Somal gave her a blank response. He did not like where this was going. _"Vulcans dislike touch, I guess it has something to do with their emotions."_ She looked down at him like a wicked beast. She grabbed his arm and rolled up his sleeve. _" Shran has forbidden me from torturing you. However, I can still use … other methods. And I can't help but wonder if Vulmen are the same."_

Somal scowled at her. He immediately found it hard to keep a straight face. Somal felt very warm, hot almost. His senses became amplified. She grabbed his hand with a fierce yank. Somal's breath hitched. _"Do you find this uncomfortable?"_ She inquired of him. Somal decided to lie. _"I am half human. Do you really think my touch telepathy is anywhere as strong as a regular Vulcan?"_ He said with hiss. Unfortunately, his voice betrayed his mistruth.

 _"_ _I see you are becoming emotionally responsive … good … good."_ She goaded him. _"Emotions bring me no shame. They are a fundamental component of Vulmen existence … as is logic."_ Somal replied as calmly as possible. _"How about this?"_ She rubbed his fingers with hers. He took in a wide breath. _" I want to speak to your Commander Shran."_ He spoke aloud. This situation was borderline inappropriate. _"No."_ She shook her head. _"And why not?"_ Somal hissed. _"Cause I am not done with you."_ Naru spoke to him.

 _"_ _Do you try to seduce every Vulcanoid who comes on to this ship?"_ He chided her. She laughed out loud. _"I am not a whore."_ Somal raised an eyebrow, as if to say, really? _"And I am not a womanizer."_ He replied bluntly. _"Are you sure?"_ She leaned in, jokingly. _"Yes, I can assure you I am not a cad. Not that I have any intention of discussing my sex life you."_ He looked around the brink: _"Especially here of all places."_ He murmured to himself. _"Or rather your lack of experience."_ She teased him.

 _"_ _You remind me of Andorian particle physicist I met some years ago. The man was exceptionally brilliant. His intelligence pretty much rivaled all of his peers. However, when it came to the basic fundamentals of life, he struggled."_ Somal narrowed his eyes: _"What do you want?"_ He attempted to hide his inadequacies. _"Nothing much. I am a criminal psychologist. I simply find your sexual inadequacies amusing."_ She looked down at the food. _"There is nothing in my food, is there?"_ Somal looked at her. Naru shook her head: _"No, but you thought there was, didn't you ?"_ Somal grimaced at her.

 _"_ _So, my dear, I am assuming you have been sent here to profile me?"_ He said rather cynically. _"Yes."_ She shook her head. _"We have twenty three hours before the Terran vessel meets our rendezvous coordinates."_ She said more gently. _"You can either make this easy or hard."_ Somal starred rather blankly at her before he replied: _"What would you like to know?"_ She sat up straight: _"Who are you? Why are your people not located in the Vulcan Database? And if you didn't kill our cargo ship staff, who did?"_

Somal shifted his head: _"I thought you didn't believe me."_ Naru gave him a light smile: _"I don't, so make me."_ She then leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. _"Or I will punish you, and do that again."_ Somal's eyebrows were now located in his hairline. He began to speak for his life.

 _…_

Luma watched as her master Administrator Sopek spoke over the channel. _"What do you mean he is gone?"_ He yelled at Captain Dumas. _"We believe he was captured by the Andorians."_ Sopek narrowed his eyes: _"You believe?"_ He hissed aloud. _"Listen to me. You find that Andorian vessel, and bring back my son. If there is one scratch on him when he returns, I will make sure this will be the end of you career. Do you understand?"_ He stated firmly.

Captain Dumas nodded his head. _"Yes, Sir."_ He responded swiftly. Administrator Sopek took a deep breath: _"Good… now get out of my sight."_ Dumas nodded his head again: _"Yes, Sir."_ The channel was immediately terminated. Luma approached her master's side. She repressed all forms of physical emotion.

 _"_ _Is he truly gone, Osu?"_ Luma inquired with grave sadness. Sopek was quiet for a moment. _"Osu."_ She exclaimed rather firmly: _"Is he truly gone?"_ She repeated herself. Reluctantly, Sopek shook his head. Luma resisted a scowl. _"I told you never to put him on that vessel."_ She turned around as she suppressed her anger. The administrator was silent. _" I told you, and you never listen to me."_ She solemnly fumed. Sopek stood up from his seat, and grasped his servant's tunic. _"Enough."_ He shushed at her.

He looked deeply into her eyes. _"I saved your life many years ago. Remember, I could have let you go to your doom."_ He hissed into her ear. _"If you ever speak to me in such a disgraceful manner again I will not hesitate to …"_ Luma cut him off: _"Send me to the executioner?"_ She quirked an eyebrow. Sopek looked mortified: _"Do I look like my father? No, I was going to say …"_

A nursemaid knocked and opened the door: _"Sir, your wife has requested your presences."_ She then left. _"We will finish this conversation later Luma. Please go check on the younger children. I must attend to my wife and new born daughters."_ Luma nodded her head slowly. _"Yes, …Osu."_ She reluctantly replied. Sopek grabbed her by the shoulders before she left: _"I will find him. I promise you this."_ He starred deeply into her eyes. Luma nodded her head: _"Please bring my precious home."_

 _…_

Somek sat in his personal study. He watched his computer intently. His sister T'Hana was exhibiting signs of immense irritation. Word was out. Somal along with a few of his subordinates had been captured. _"You have no knowledge of where our brother is?"_ He reiterated himself. T'Hana shook her head: _"We are attempting to locate a trail as we speak. However, someone has deliberately attempted to sabotaged our ship's internal monitoring system."_

 _"_ _Sabotage?"_ Somek murmured aloud. _"Those are strong words T'Hana."_ T'Hana shook her head. _"Someone in the security department has overridden the access codes to our ship's monitoring system. We will not be able to pursue the Andorian vessel, until we can break the new code, and reset all the internal systems."_ Somek shook his head: _"That is logical."_ T'Hana sat back in her chair and sighed. Somek watch his sister frown. _"Somek, I need a favor of you."_ Somek nodded his head: _"Of course, anything sister."_ T'Hana took a breath: _"I need you to go and find T'Lin's mother, T'Min. She designed the Navis Sanctus. T'Min holds all of the original schematics to the ship. If anyone can fix this problem, it is her."_ Somek shook his head.

T'Hana continued to speak aloud. _"Next, I make a special request. You must got to T'Min and request to be given the coordinates to find V'Lan."_ Somek looked taken back. V'Lan was the supposed Vulcan aeronautical engineer who had trained T'Min. Somek raised an eyebrow: _"Won't inquiring information about the schematics from T'Min be enough?"_ T'Hana shook her head. _"I am not inquiring about the schematics to V'Lan. We need to know what happened to the other Vulcans. If anyone would know, it would be V'Lan."_

Somek nodded to his sister: _"Is there anything specific you wish for me to inquire?"_ T'Hana was silent for a moment. _"Yes, who is the Son of Vulcan? I need to know if it some form of code name."_ Somek nodded his head. _"I also want you to independently research the surviving Vulcans. We need to find out as much about them as possible."_

Somek nodded his head again: _"I will attend the directory this afternoon._ _I will inform Luma to set up an appointment with Minister T'Min."_ T'Hana nodded her head: _"How is mother?"_ She temporarily changed the subject. Somek offered his sister a brief smile: _"Mother is recovering quite well, actually. She has given birth to two healthy baby girls."_ T'Hana responded: _"What are their names?"_ Somek looked up: _"T'Mari and Sofia."_ T'Hana smiled back: _"Those names are the most lovely thing I heard all day."_

Somek smirked at her: _"Is the Navis Sanctus really that boring?"_ T'Hana shook her head: _"There are many things I would refer to the Navis Sanctus, boring is not one of them."_ Somek shifted his head: _"Then what is the matter?"_ T'Hana raised an eyebrow: _"I have two small children with me, Somek. I am not exactly taking a holiday."_ Somek gave her an amused look: _"Give my niece and nephew my bests, will you?"_ T'Hana rolled her eyes: _"Good bye Somek."_ Somek's screen went blank.

 _…_

Commander Tucker paced along side the engine. His commanding officer was right beside him. _"So let me get this straight, Cap'n. We are traveling directly through the Klingon Empire to a barely charted area of space to rendezvous with a guy we haven't even heard from in four or five months. Oh, and then we are going to collect a group mythical mixed race Vulcan-Humans, and depending on how things go, we may or may not be taking them back to Andoria."_ Trip started plugging information into the database: _"I'm sorry Cap'n, but this seems like a little far fetched, even for the Vulcans."_

Captain Archer nodded his head: _"I know you are probably a little shocked."_ Trip turned around: _"Oh, I can think of a few stronger words than that!"_ He then faced the captain as he leaned against the engine. _"This is doesn't make any sense. Why would the Vulcans lie to us about this? After all of this time?"_ Jonathan shrugged his shoulders. Trip had a point. None of this made any sense. What would a group of mixed race Vulcan-Human hybrids be doing clear out of the Archaic system? Some one would have had to have forcibly placed them here.

Seeing that Vulcan technology was further a head than humans, they were a prime suspect.

 _"_ _I mean it is not that I am disappointed Cap'n; especially after finding Lorian and all. I'd hate for the boy to be all alone, but something about this just isn't right."_ Trip shrugged to himself, and then he laughed out loud. He turned to Captain Archer: _"Do you remember that crazy TV show called_ _V_ _?"_ Captain Archer gave him a confused look: _"Which one? Do you mean the 1983 or 2009 version?"_ Trip gave him a smile: _"Either will do Sir. However, I remember the one produced in 2009 better. The victors came to enslave humanity, and forcibly impregnate our women. Oh gosh, and then there was the Star Child."_ Trip shook his head: _"Boy, that show was incredibly xenophobic."_

Captain Archer placed his hands in his trousers. A horrible feeling filled him. He could not fathom the Vulcans committing such an atrocity. Yes, they were smug, and a tad arrogant at times. However, the concept of the, forsaking logic and raping poor Terran women was pretty beneath them, or so he thought. However, the Vulcan High Command did have some explaining to do. Soval clearly wanted this matter concealed as soon as possible. Why? He did not know. He began to wonder if the Vulcan Science Directory knew reproduction between Vulcans and Humans were possible prior to the discovery of Lorian. The captain wondered if they had been lying to humanity all these years.

 _"_ _Yes, that much is apparently so."_ Commander Tucker and Captain Archer looked up above them. It would appear T'Pol had been listening to their conversation from the top of the engine.

 **…**

 **So, what did you think? Here is a list of my Oc's. I don't want anyone to get confused.**

 **Somal- Protagonist**

 **Administrator Sopek- Somal's father**

 **T'Hana and Somek- Somal's sister and brother**

 **Colleagues-T'Pel, Gladius, Dumas, T'Lin, and Kuvak**

 **Luma- A personal family servant**

 **Yuris, Strom, and Oratt are from the episode Stigma in Star trek Enterprise.**


	6. Chapter 6: Greetings

Commander Shran sat at the bridge of his ship. He had received a promotion since he last encountered _Enterprise._ Instead of running a lofty cargo ship or small battle cruiser, he was now commanding the finest vessel in the Imperial Guard. No other vessel in the fleet had the technology to stop him. Commander Shran smirked at his young subordinates. At their young age, he would have killed to be in this position.

Shran slid back down in his seat. He couldn't wait to see Archer's face when he saw this _baby_. This vessel was topnotch. Nothing could surpass it. Shran briefly wondered what Soval's reaction would be. Oh, he loved seeing that Vulcan rendered speechless. Nothing filled him with more pride then when that bastard was caught tongue-tied – which was practically never.

Naru entered the bridge. _"Commander,"_ she nodded her head respectfully. _"How are our guests … Naru?"_ Naru gave a crude smile. _"They are being accommodated as best as 'guests' of their status can be."_ A tad amount of sarcasm lurked in her vocal inflections. Shran's antennas twitched in amusement. _"How about Soval? Is he awake?"_ Naru laughed aloud: _"His name is Somal, Commander. Yes, he awoke roughly ten hours ago."_

Shran mimicked his subordinate. _"Somal or Soval. Vulmen or Vulcans. I have met plenty of them over my lifetime, and believe me when I say this: they are all the same."_ He waved his hand for additional emphasis. Naru gave him a light smile: _"That is good to know, Sir."_ Commander Shran nodded his head: _"Always remember that."_ He then looked up. _"Did you find out anything useful?"_ Naru nodded her head: _"Yes, 'Ambassador Somal's' point of view has been most interesting."_

Shran scouted forward in his seat: _"Ambassador? I though he was a Commander?"_ Naru shrugged her shoulders: _"You said all Vulmen and Vulcans are the same. Soval is an ambassador, so why not address Somal as one as well."_ Shran looked at her like she was crazy. Naru continued: _" I mean … he is the highest ranked representative from Neovulterra here."_ Shran gave her another funny look: _"That kid. Are you kidding me?"_ Naru nodded her head: _"He is a lawyer. It would be wise for him to represent his own people during the trial. Plus."_ She looked from side to side to make sure no one was listening: _"He looks like a younger replica of Ambassador Soval."_

Shran chuckled from that deduction. He would have to add that to his long list of things to bug Soval about. Shran's top priority prisoner looked like Soval's clone. _"So what exactly did Soval 2.0 say?"_ Shran sat back and put his hands together. _"He spoke a fair amount about logic."_ Shran snorted: _"Typical Vulcan."_ Naru ignored his comment: _"Surprisingly, he also spoke about the merit of both embracing and mastering emotion."_ Shran's antennas stopped moving: _"Really?"_ He seemed skeptical. Naru shook her head: _"I believe there is more humanity to these 'Vulmen's' than what meets the eye."_

…

Somal sat in a fully meditative pose. He was attempting to reach internal peace. That blasted Andorian's emotions had tampered with his own. The frequent physical contact had created internal turmoil. Somal sighed to himself. The rumbling from the brink's hall plating was distracting him.

His door immediately chimed. Somal opened his eyes to see an Andorian male standing outside his door. _"You have a visitor."_ The brink door opened and to his surprise, T'Lin walked in. His eyes slightly brightened. She waited for the Andorian to leave. **_"_** _Somal."_ She spoke his name cheerfully. Somal wanted to move closer. However, he was chained to the floor.

She leaned down and embraced him. Somal stroked her hair. _"Did they hurt you?"_ He inquired firmly. T'Lin shook her head: _"No."_ She attempted to stroke his cheek. She narrowed her eyes for she saw the ugly bruise on his cheek. T'Lin then leaned into his personal space and took a whiff of his scent. Somal moved back: _"Don't,"_ He said in shame, _"I wreak of her."_ T'Lin looked livid: _"Her? You mean that blasted Andorian woman who got us into this mess? What did she do to you?"_ Somal did not speak.

 _"_ _Somal,"_ she pressed forward. Somal shook his head. For a moment he refused to answer. _"Somal, you can tell me."_ She asked gently. _"I have spilled my seed out of pure sin."_ He stuttered. T'Lin leaned forward: _"She raped you?"_ Disgust lurked in her voice. Somal shook his head: _"No. She has toyed with me and given me knowledge I would have been best off not knowing."_

T'Lin shook her head and gave Somal a hug. They stayed in the position for several minutes. _"Do you know where they are taking us?"_ Somal nodded his head: _"We will be intercepting with a Terran vessel soon."_ T'Lin looked at him oddly: _"Terran? You mean?"_ Somal nodded his head: _"They are from the motherland."_

A long silence occurred between the couple. T'Lin looked amazed. _"I have been informed there will also be members from the fatherland accompanying us on the Terran vessel."_ Somal finished. _"Vulcans and Humans work together is this day? Fascinating."_ T'Lin murmured. Somal nodded his head: _"It is a small universe."_ T'Lin smiled: _"Clearly much smaller than we ever anticipated."_ She then spoke again. _"Where will this vessel take us?"_ Somal continued: _"Supposedly we are going to be taken back to Andoria for our trial."_ T'Lin looked at him strangely: _"Trial?"_ Somal nodded his head: _"They believe we have killed their crew."_

 _…_

Commander Shran watched _Enterprise_ approach. After hours of intense travel, they had met the rendezvous coordinates. Shran had ordered hours previously that the _Vulmen_ receive a proper cleansing and medical treatment. He disliked Vulcans immensely. However, he was not cruel. Shran decided that he would take pity on them - only because they were half pink skin off course.

Six Vulmen approached the transporter. A group of Andorian guards pushed them forward. Shran watched his prisoners from the bridge's emergency security cameras. He turned around when his calm officer alerted him that a transmission was being placed through.

 _"_ _Captain,"_ he said with a large smile. _"I see that we meet again."_ Archer was standing firmly on the other side: _"Shran,"_ He nodded his head with respect. _" I believe you have something we want."_ Shran's smiled widened: _"Have you seen my new ship, Archer? She's a real beauty isn't she?"_ He could hear someone clearing his voice on the other side: _"Commander Shran."_ Shran looked down. Oh, this was another reason why he liked this ship. He could sit on his pedestal like a god and watch all who were beneath him. _"Well, Soval, Soval, Soval. What a surprise to see you again so soon."_

Shran slumped back in his seat: _"How is the wife? The kids?"_ He chided him. Shran had looked up Soval's file. He had no children and his wife was deceased. _"I am assuming you have the 'Vulmen' ready for transfer, or did you simply come here under false pretenses to inquire about my personal life?"_ Shran nodded his head: _"That's great. Mine our doing fine. Thanks for asking."_

 _"_ _Commander,"_ Archer spoke aloud. _"You know what my new vessel needs?"_ Shran spoke aloud. _"A new commander."_ Soval cynically responded. Shran glared at the ambassador. He was beginning to prefer Soval 2.0 more. He had way better manners.

 _"_ _No, I was going to say thrusters. I have always admired Enterprises intricate design. It's a shame humanity was held back for nearly a hundred years. I would have liked to have seen this shuttle sooner."_ Shran chided. T'Pol closed her eyes: _"Commander, if you are done with your … statements, we have five Vulmen prisoners transfer."_

 _"_ _Six."_ Shran corrected her. _"I beg your pardon?"_ T'Pol repeated herself. _"I have six prisoners to give you."_ Soval raised an eyebrow: _"You informed the High Command you had only five prisoners for exchange."_ Shran's antennas twitched, and he concealed a blush: _"No, I said six."_ Soval narrowed his eyes: _"You reported the Vulmen's existence to Minister Kuvak, who in turn reports to me. I am certain you stated there were only five prisoners."_ Shran shook his head: _"No, your wrong. I said six."_

Soval adamantly countered: _" You only forwarded five genetic profiles."_ Shran leaned on his throne of glory: _"Are you sure? I think you should go count again."_ T'Pol finally interrupted the men's ridiculous banter: _"Gentlemen, I believe we have far more pressing matters to attend to."_

Shran glared at T'Pol. _"Fine, Sub-Commander. You are no fun. Shran casually out._ He terminated the transmission. Shran then slumped in his seat. _"So,"_ Naru stated quite casually. _"Did you piss the Vulcans off as much as you wanted?"_ Shran turned around to her. _"No."_ He answer was concise and to the point.

…

The Vulmen were escorted to the transporter. Somal took in the view of his captors' vessel. He recorded every twist and turn throughout the ship with his eidetic memory. Somal watched as his fellow guards scanned the vessel. He suspected they were attempting to figure out how to escape. Somal briefly shook his head at his subordinates. Too much blood had been spilled these past following days.

Somal was not a coward. However, he acknowledged that they were significantly outnumbered, and he did not find engaging in combat to be wise. An Andorian guard immediately pulled Gladius up by the shirt and pushed him onto the transporter. The same guard then grabbed Somal and thrusted him on the floor.

Somal did not know if the man's actions were intentional or accidental. However, either way, the Andorian did not seem to care. As Somal attempted to stand, Commander Shran walked in the room. _"Well good morning, Sub-Commander."_ Somal looked up. He was hardly pleased by the Andorians presence. _"Commander Shran."_ He bowed his head respectfully, even though he despised the man. A strong laugh came from behind, _"See, I told you he always remembers his manners."_

Somal chose to avoid Naru's gaze. Somal, however, could see T'Lin grimacing in the distance. Commander Shran walked onto the transport. He turned to Somal: _"You ready to meet your maker, Somal?"_ Somal briefly glanced at the man: _"Makers."_ He corrected the Andorian. _"What?"_

 _"_ _Makers,"_ Somal stated again, _"It is the plural English form of the word maker. As you are well aware, neither Vulcans nor Humans are asexual."_ Shran couldn't even respond to that.

…

Captain Archer, Sub-Commander T'Pol, and Lieutenant Reed stood directly at the transporters. A MACO was working the device. His superiors simply pondered their current existence. Immediately, a group of Andorian and Vulmen emerged on the ship.

Captain Archer eyes flashed to the Vulmen. He was struck speechless by their diverse physical characteristics. The eldest Vulmen man, who stood in front, looked practically Vulcan. While a younger red headed Vulmen, who stood in the back, had more of a human appearance. The other Vulmen men and woman possessed a combination of the physical features.

 _"_ _Archer."_ Shran practically held his arms out. _"It has been to long."_ He roughly hit the captain on the shoulder. Captain Archer looked back at the prisoners. He noted that the eldest Vulmen was still intensively starring at him. He then heard him murmur something in an _ethnic_ language to the female standing beside him. T'Pol raised an eyebrow.

Shran turned around and stuck his fist in a ball. _"I though I told you to stop talking."_ He hissed at the Vulmen. _"Shran."_ The captain attempted to intervene. _"I'd guard your ears, captain. This one has a loud mouth."_ Somal raised an eyebrow. He had barely spoken throughout the entire journey.

 _"_ _I will keep that in mind."_ He attempted to appease the Andorian. Captain Archer then turned back to the Vulmen. _"My name is Jonathan Archer. I am the captain of Enterprise."_ Just then, Ambassador Soval and his associates barged through the door. They immediately stopped in their place.

 _"_ _Greetings Captain."_ Somal spoke in perfect English. Yes, he had a slight accent from his mother tongue _Vulglish_. Captain Archer observed the man. His stature gave him a somewhat intimidating look. _"My name is Somal, son of Sopek, of the world Neovulterra. I am the Sub-Commander of the star ship Navis Sanctus."_ He responded completely emotionless.

Captain Archer motioned to his peers: _"This is my Sub-Commander T'Pol."_ Somal looked to the woman and greeted her in the proper Vulcan greeting: _"T'nar pak sorat y'rani."_ T'Pol raised an eyebrow. Malcolm and Jonathan looked at the sub commander. She looked quite shocked by his statement. _"T'nar jaral."_

Somal briefly raised the _ta'al._ The woman in front of him looked roughly twice his age. He then turned to his side. An older Vulcan man was intensely staring at him. Shran chose to walk back around him. _"I brought you your Vulmen Ambassador."_ Shran did a dramatic bow. _"Now somebody needs to pay."_


End file.
